I’m Jamie, and I’m creating this fundraiser for myself and my spouse, Kelly, during one of the hardest seasons of our lives. I am recovering from a traumatic brain injury and a subarachnoid hemorrhage, and the recovery process has turned our world upside down. On top of the medical and emotional strain, I have been dealing with what my doctor calls “weaponized incompetence”, and I have not been making the best choices lately. From requesting window quotes for our house while I was still in the hospital and bored, to climbing onto the roof while that person was here, to getting scammed out of a phone on my Verizon account, this recovery has affected far more than just my health. It has also meant Kelly has had to carry the weight of my dizzying mental state through all of this.

On top of all of this, we had to say goodbye to our precious Roxi last month. She was with me for more than 15 years and was the greatest puppy-dog I’ve ever had the pleasure of having in my family. I feel like I haven’t been able to fully process losing her with everything else that has been going on, and I miss her constantly.

I also made the difficult decision to leave my job because I thought it would be better for my coworkers to bring in someone new instead of continuing to cover my area until I was well enough to return. I truly believed I was doing the right thing, but that decision left Kelly and me in a much more fragile financial position than I expected. For nearly two months, I have been trying to find a new job with very little success. Right now, we need help to keep up with our bills, avoid losing our house, and get through this period while I continue healing and searching for work. I’m so sorry to have to ask for help again. I genuinely do not want to, but we are in a difficult place and need support. If you are able to give, share this fundraiser, or keep us in your thoughts, it would mean more than I can say. Your kindness would give us breathing room and hope while we work to get back on our feet.