My name is Judy and I'm raising funds for my sister Renee. Her husband, Doug, suffered a life-changing brain injury. The injury left Doug with the mentality of a 10-year-old. He was no longer able to work. For a short time, he had a caregiver for several hours a day. Renee was able to work a couple of hours a day from home during this time. Soon, the home health aide was no longer provided, and Renee became his only caregiver 24/7.

As time went on, Doug's medical and mental condition worsened. He became very combative and rebellious. He rarely slept, which meant Renee rarely slept. He needed constant attention. He needed help getting in and out of bed, to the bathroom, bathing, and eating. During a hospital stay, Doug suffered a series of strokes which left him permanently in a wheelchair, and his cognitive abilities deteriorated even further. After 2 months in the hospital, he was sent to a rehab facility, which turned out to be a nursing home (no rehabilitation took place). We, as a family, felt that Doug wasn't being cared for properly, so Renee brought him back home. I was living 3 hours away at the time but came to Renee's home as often as I could to help her. Caring for him was constant. There was no time for anything else. My body ached for sleep every time I stayed there. I had no idea that a person could go that long without sleep and be that awake and demanding. By this time, dementia had set in, making his dependency on Renee 100%. He could not be left alone for even a few minutes.

Again, Doug was hospitalized for an extended amount of time and sent to a 'rehab' facility (nursing home). At that point, our family was concerned about Renee's health. She had health issues that she had no time or opportunity to take care of. At that point, I made the decision to move in with her to be Doug's caregiver. This would give her the opportunity to address her own health issues and dedicate time to her job. I got here on a Tuesday, and Doug was supposed to come home that Friday. Unfortunately, he passed away on Thursday. Renee lost the love of her life, her soulmate. We all loved Doug very much. He was so funny and the kind of person who would help anyone, and he very often did.

When Doug passed away, he had no life insurance. He had accumulated a huge amount of medical bills. Renee's health never bounced back. In fact, she had a massive heart attack. We almost lost her too. Her current health condition is not good. She still has heart issues but has only been to her cardiologist once post-heart attack because she owes him a tremendous amount of money. Another doctor wants her to have a medical machine to control the lymphedema in her legs, but the portion she would be responsible for, after insurance, is $2000.00. It's just impossible for us to come up with that amount of money.

While attempting to pay down some of the medical bills, we got behind on the mortgage, taxes, and utilities. To avoid foreclosure, I was forced to take out a very high-interest title loan on my car. The monthly payment on that loan leaves me $200.00 a month from my social security check. We seem to be getting deeper into debt every month. We haven't had heat in the house since February of 2024 because we couldn't afford to pay the delinquent bill we have with the propane company and come up with money for a propane delivery. Renee has received assistance with this. We are very grateful! When we get that propane delivery, it will last about 5 to 6 weeks, then we will need to buy more. Not only is having no heat very painful, but there's always a chance that pipes will burst, and we will have no running water also.

My brother and I have done all we can to help, but neither of us can get her back on her feet. We decided it's time to reach out for help. Any amount that you can give, even a small amount, would be so helpful and deeply appreciated. I'm also asking you to share this post so it can reach as many people as possible. I thank each and every person who contributes or shares this.