I never thought I would have to write something like this.

Hi everyone, my name is Coleman, but most people know me as Leo.

For the past six years I’ve been living in Atlanta while attending Georgia State University. Recently I accepted a new corporate job that required me to relocate to Chattanooga, Tennessee for a year. The past few months have been a huge transition for me. In January I had to quickly find housing, pack up my entire life, rent a U-Haul, and move to a completely new state. I left behind my friends, community, and the life I built in Atlanta to start fresh in a new city where I don’t yet have family or a support system.

At the same time, I’ve been dealing with several personal challenges. I recently went through a breakup, have been traveling for work, and because of my serious chronic health issues I was hospitalized for a full week and am still actively recovering.

Unfortunately, during this already difficult transition, something very traumatic happened.

On Monday, March 9th around 5 PM, a Ram truck crashed directly into the living room of my home. Just minutes before it happened, I had been sitting in that exact spot in my living room. I decided to step outside to sit on my back porch for a few minutes, and shortly after that the truck drove straight through my house. If I had stayed inside, I truly could have lost my life.

Police, firefighters, and ambulances had to respond to the scene. After the truck was pulled out of the house, it left a massive hole in the side of my living room. My belongings were scattered everywhere through the rubble. Books, clothing, food, and bedding were thrown around and damaged.

I struggled to recover much of anything safely from the wreckage. Many of my personal items were destroyed, including my dresser, clothing rack, clothes, jewelry, TV, and other belongings.

One of the most heartbreaking losses was my mother’s urn, which was extremely sentimental to me and was sadly destroyed in the damage. Losing something that meaningful has been incredibly painful.

This entire situation has been extremely traumatic for me. I’m currently dealing with a lot of anxiety and fear, especially about housing and what my next steps will be. Because of everything going on with my health and the accident, I also had to apply for a leave of absence from work, which means I currently don’t have steady income coming in.

Right now I am displaced and trying to figure out stable housing and how to replace the basic things I lost.

I am reaching out to my Atlanta community, along with my family and friends, to ask for help during this very difficult moment in my life. The past few months have already been overwhelming, and this accident has affected my life greatly.

The funds will help me cover things like:

Temporary housing and shelter

Food and basic living supplies

Clothing and essential items that were destroyed

Moving and recovery expenses

Legal fees related to the accident and housing situation

I am currently staying with my father and stepmother temporarily, but this is not a long-term solution, and I am trying to regain housing and work stability as soon as possible.

If you’re able to donate, share, or repost this fundraiser, it would truly mean the world to me. Any support or guidance toward resources is deeply appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for supporting me during such a difficult moment.

With gratitude,

Leo