Joan, my sister, traveled to Florida to help her daughter by babysitting her grandchildren while her daughter attended a Navy event in Washington. Just before Christmas, while the children were at school, Joan decided to retrieve some Christmas decorations from a ladder. Unfortunately, she fell and suffered a severe injury just below her left knee cap. In pain and unable to walk, she managed to crawl inside and call for help. She was taken to the hospital, where doctors discovered a complex fracture and significant swelling. Due to the severity of her injury, she required an external fixator and multiple surgeries, including procedures to address infection after a culture showed infection in her leg, and to remove blood from her leg. The surgeon milked a lot of blood from her leg during one of the procedures.

Joan has spent weeks in hospitals and rehab, and she is still non-weightbearing, relying on visiting nurses for wound care and infection control. She is sleeping on her daughter's couch, unable to return home to Pennsylvania until her leg heals and she is cleared for travel. The recovery has been long and uncertain, with ongoing medical appointments, physical therapy, and a strict regimen of antibiotics. Despite applying for disability, she has minimal income and mounting bills. Her medical expenses continue to grow, and she is struggling to keep up with car payments, storage fees for her belongings, and daily living costs like food. I have helped where I can, including retrieving her car from the airport, but the financial strain is overwhelming.

Joan has always been an incredibly generous person, working tirelessly as a respiratory therapist—especially during the Covid epidemic, when she put others first. Now, as a single woman with no one else to rely on, she needs help from others. Any support you can give will mean the world to her and help her get back on her feet. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity.