My name is Susie and I’m the primary caregiver for my dad and best friend, David. My dad has stage 4 lung cancer and I’ve been his caregiver for just over 2.5 years. As some may know, last year my dad had a tragic accident involving an oxygen fire, which put him in the hospital and me out of work for over a month. This accident was also the ultimate demise of my already crumbling marriage.

My ex husband was the primary breadwinner while I worked part time so I could care for my dad. After his accident, it all changed. My ex husband gave me an ultimatum; stay married and put my dad in a nursing home, or get divorced. So, we got divorced and he got the best lawyer in the state to ensure I got the short end of the stick. I chose my dad, and I have never once regretted it, but it’s been incredibly hard.

I started working full time as soon as I could after our traumatic split, but I couldn’t make money quick enough to stay afloat. I had to trade my car payment, food, gas, and other necessary bills for credit card and debt payments. This made my debt skyrocket and my credit plummet, now putting me in a position where I have no idea how I’ll find us a stable and accessible home with credit this low.

So, that brings me here. This money will go towards my $18,000 in debt, and the rest will go towards doing something special with my dad; a trip to the ocean, his dream as he’s never been in the ocean. I want to make the end of his life the most comfortable I can. I want him to be able to live. So if you donate, thank you so much. Even if you just read our story, thank you, thank you, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.