My name is Ryan, and I’m reaching out because I’ve found myself in a situation I never expected, and to be quite frank, embarrassingly found myself in. Several years ago, I was forced out of work due to medical reasons. For 3 years, I could not work, and barely was even allowed to get out of bed. During that time, the bills kept coming, and despite my best efforts, they piled up. Launching a food product company at the same time, did not help the cause. Even after returning to work, it’s been a struggle to catch up. Dealing with Kidney Stones, navigating a couple Slipped Discs (L4 and L5) and regular spinal injections to manage that issue, has also taken its toll. Then, to top it all off, this past week (19MAR2026) I came down with Viral Meningitis and was hospitalized for 5 days, while dozens of tests were run to rule out and narrow down the culprit. This included Brain MRI's, X-Rays, 3 Spinal Taps, and about 2 pints of blood drawn in dozens of tubes for all the tests. (It's not Epstein Barr or Lyme disease, y'all!)

The icing on the cake, my 12 year old dog is starting to show her age, and I know that she's about to start needing more care and will have her own medical bills piling up. A few weeks ago, for a couple days, she could not lean down to pick anything up off the floor. Her food bowl has always been raised, but that was still a scare that left me way too uneasy. I would dig through dumpsters for my own food, before letting her suffer. On top of that, my car is now in desperate need of upkeep; as well as the bills associated with it.

So, my fear right now, is that I have impending bed-ridden procedures coming up for my back, and my knee (have met with the dr, and my right knee cap needs replacing), and that my dog is going to need a safety net to cover her own medical costs; and that I just haven't been able to earn it on my own as hard as I work and save, and don't spend anything unnecessarily.

The funds raised here will go directly toward being able to take care of my family and myself, helping with essential living expenses like healthcare, rent, and food, and maybe chipping away at some of the overdue bills and creditors calling. Every bit of support will help me keep a roof over my family’s head and give us the breathing room we need to get back on our feet; or even just keep us standing on our own for a little bit longer.

I’m beyond embarrassed to even have to be going this route, but I know I can’t do it alone. I cannot thank every person who has donated enough. Your support truly means the world to us—it’s the difference between staying afloat and falling further behind. Thank you for considering helping my family and me during this difficult time.

From the bottom of my heart, Thank you for your help and generosity.