In early May, I went outside to put up my car windows as it started to rain. When I grabbed the door handle, lightning struck me. The force blew off my toenails, burned the tops of my ears, and the electricity exited through my ankles. At first, I was in a daze and didn’t realize how badly I was hurt. The severity of my injuries became clear as I went from doctor to doctor, trying to heal. By July, they removed my right foot. Pictures of my left foot show how badly I was burnt. They saved my left foot, but I only lost one toe, the number four. That's a rough thing to go through. I would not want anybody to have to go through what I've gone through in the last 6 months. The doctor that removed my leg was awesome. He took off all my toes on my right foot, and then three days later, the infection spread to my ankle, so they had to remove my left leg just below my knee. I'm wheelchair-bound and use a walker. I've fallen quite a few times, so it took my leg longer to heal.

My right leg took the worst of it. Doctors worked for months to save it, but by late July, after several surgeries and a persistent infection, they had to amputate my leg just below the knee. Three days before the amputation, they had already removed some toes and part of my foot, but the infection wouldn’t stop. It’s been a long, difficult road, and the medical bills just keep coming. I owe a balance to the doctor who will be fitting my prosthetic leg, and I have an important appointment on January 21st. With limited income, I haven’t been able to pay anything toward this balance, and I’m worried about how things will go at my next appointment.

I’m reaching out for help because I can’t do this alone. Your support will help me pay for my medical bills, get the care I need, and adjust to life after losing my leg. Any help you can give would mean the world to me as I work to recover and regain my independence.