My name is Luis M. Padilla, committed, hard worker, passionate about what I do professionally and personally. I've been working for the last 38 years, with minimal visits to doctors (mostly due to high blood pressure) and enjoying a passive life. In July 2025, my employer announced site operations closure and since I still have financial responsibilities, I decided to look for another job and quickly was hired by another company. Immediately, I started paving my way to plan, develop, and implement strategies to help this new employer in taking safety, occupational health, and the environment processes to the next level. A few months later, my work management began to succeed. Unfortunately, on January 8th, 2025, I was in the middle of a meeting with engineering supervisors providing them training for Safe Work Permits when I started feeling sick and asked permission to stop and go to the restroom. My supervisor was participating in the meeting via telephone and asked a department colleague to move to where I was located just in case I needed further support. When returning from the restroom, I stopped by a platform and leaned over its rails upon my colleague's arrival. I just asked him to call 911 and that was when my nightmares started.

I spent 24 days in a hospital where I was diagnosed and treated for a cardiovascular disease. Upon ending my stay in the hospital, I did return home and started recovery therapy. Meanwhile, since I was in a probationary period with the company, I used the limited amount of sick and vacation days I had available and by January 21st, I had no more earnings nor emergency savings available. The situation created a burden after being able to pay my obligations perfectly. A non-occupational disability insurance was activated but it only pays a minimum benefit that can barely cover my medical copays and other miscellaneous expenditures.

To make things worse, I experienced a relapse of the disease and went once more to the hospital. This time I was placed in ICU for 4 days and stayed for 22 more days. My medical insurance doesn't cover bariatric patient (I'm a big boy) ambulance transportation and I had to pay its costs out of my credit card balances. On May 10th, I was again released from the hospital and came back home for recovery. All these situations and the months that I spent out of work created a financial mess that only by this resource I might get back on track until I get approved for disability benefits from the SSA. Meanwhile, I detained any legal proceedings applicable in my situation by talking and providing evidence to my creditors. Meaning that later during the year I need to respond to the reached agreements. On the other hand, as a responsible worker, I talked to my employer explaining to them that by having 64 years, it was time to take care of myself and give them the opportunity of looking for a replacement for my work position.

My recuperation is underway, still waiting for the disability insurance to approve physical therapy since I can barely walk now, but I'm positive that I can recover sooner or later.

Now through this platform, I'm looking to obtain support from people who understand that this type of situation can happen to anyone and appeal to their kindness in helping me recover from all that I'm experiencing.