Help Struggling Dad Recover from Car Repairs & Medical Bills

Gil Sanders is organizing this fundraiser.

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Hey, I’m Gil. I'm a dad and husband living in Utah, struggling as the sole earner with a new baby due later this year. I had to take a new job paying $1,500 less per month than expected, and while briefly jobless, I faced a $2,800 root canal bill (lost insurance after losing my job), an $8K car repair bill, and I have at least $2K of medical bills for my wife’s doctor visits, all on top of our mortgage ($2,550 monthly) and food. I dipped into most of our savings to make ends meet.

HOW IT STARTED:

Before the job change, I bought my dream car—a 1995 BMW 525i Sedan, 5-speed manual—for $4,000, which was a steal given its condition. I just adore its old-school nostalgia (reminds me of my Uncle David's old cars when I was a kid), and my one-year-old boy loves it too! I'm hoping to pass it down to my boy someday. I knew she needed repairs (suspension, cooling system, handbrake, oil leaks), which estimated at $5K, but I could comfortably afford it because I was financially stable at the time.

However, a series of unforeseen, unlucky events would quickly change that...

HOW IT WENT WRONG:

Right after I took the car to get repaired, I found myself without a job. The car stayed in the shop for 2 months+ (shipping delays, wrong parts, extra labor), so the bill jumped to nearly $8,000. My wife was having very bad pains from pregnancy, so extra doctor visits, medication, and care was required. I got a very bad tooth pain, but by that time, my dental insurance was expired. When the the car repair finished, I had barely started my lower-paying job and was surprised by the high repair bill. My bills totaled to 12K, and that's not including my wife's other bills that'll likely come in the mail soon.

Now it's possible to sell the car of course, but here's the problem: It'd likely have to sell at a loss, and even if it covers most of the repair bill, this is how I get to work every day. So I would still need money to buy a used car, pay for registration/emission fees, and then pay for repairs that it'll inevitably arrive for my price range. I know the BMW works great after the extensive repairs [they fixed all of the common issues with the car], but I don't know this about any other used car. Therefore, it seems wisest to keep what I have.

THE ASK

I’m only hoping for $2K to help cover these car and medical bills in order stay afloat. The responsibility to pay for these bills is mine and mine alone, so I'm working hard (including overtime) to do exactly that. I'm just hoping for a little relief if possible! A $5 or $10 donation would mean so much! Thank you!

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EVIDENCE

I understand some of you do not know me, and so there's no reason for you to trust me. Here's some evidence to reassure you of my situation.

DENTAL BILL

Originally, my dental insurance was supposed to cover this, but of course they refused so I was left to foot the entire bill.