My name is Steven Freels. I'm reaching out for your support during a challenging time in my life.

On August 24, 2024, I walked in extreme pain to a stretcher to be taken by ambulance to the hospital for a major infection in my leg. What I didn't know at the time was I had a grade 4 bleeding ulcer. That ulcer set me on a difficult journey through four surgeries, ten days on a ventilator, and a critically low hemoglobin level of 4.8 (the normal range for a man is 14-18). As a result, I required 20 units of blood over 14 days—they literally replaced all the blood in my body twice. I spent 112 days in the hospital before being transferred to a nursing home for 60 days of rehabilitation.

This illness left me unable to move in bed or stand without major assistance. Fortunately, by the time I left the nursing home, I could finally sit on the side of the bed but still couldn't stand on my own. Since returning home, I've continued to receive physical therapy and can now stand for up to two minutes and walk about twenty feet using a walker.

My goal is to raise $100,000 to help cover the extended hospital and nursing home stay expenses that my insurance did not cover. This includes medical transportation from the nursing home to my residence, ongoing outpatient therapy, a power wheelchair, and daily living expenses until I'm approved for social security disability (which could take 12 to 18 months).

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you and God bless,

Steven Freels