Hi, I’m Jerry Cheney, a retired Public Health Professional and Naturalist Photographer. I have dedicated my retirement years to capturing photos of the birds and other wildlife, as well as the natural beauty of the high desert landscape of Santa Fe, New Mexico. I survive on a fixed income that has not kept pace with the ever-increasing cost of living. It has all come to a financial breaking point because at the same time I am about to see my rent increase, I had a catastrophic fall on Friday, June 20, 2025, which a witness described as a face plant while crossing in a pedestrian crosswalk when the signal indicated “walk.”

I fell onto my knees and my left arm and shoulder. The first sign that this was not normal was that in addition to blood coming from the abrasions on my knees, my left arm and shoulder really hurt to move. A kind neighbor and staff at the pharmacy I was headed to patched me up, and a friend took me home. I had hoped that my arm and shoulder pain would go away, but instead, the pain grew, and I was unable to move my left arm more than a few inches. So, on Monday, June 23, 2025, I went to Urgent Care. I was seen, X-rayed, and the diagnosis was a proximal humerus fracture at the left shoulder, a sling, and a referral to an orthopedic specialist. The urgent care visit would be covered by Medicare and Medicare Supplement Insurance, but there is a significant deductible that has to be paid out of pocket, and there are items that aren’t covered like the sling I had to purchase, recommended over-the-counter medication, bandaging supplies, and so on. Because I have no funds to pay for these expenses, I am requesting help to raise $500 to cover these expenses. I will be very grateful for any assistance you can provide.