Caring for My Father While Trying to Stay Afloat

By: Tifanie Mayberry

Hi, my name is Tifanie, and for the past six and a half weeks I’ve been my father’s primary caregiver through one of the most painful and unpredictable seasons of my life.

My dad has endured an aortic dissection, still has a subclavian aneurysm, and has had a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) followed by at least two strokes. Without insurance, one of his life-saving medications now costs over $2,000 a month, which we still don’t know how to manage.

I have used everything I had to make sure he was fed, and cared for. I spent my savings on food, medical needs, and transportation. I paused my coaching business and cancelled work to be there for him, believing things would eventually improve. But instead, his condition and behavior have only grown more difficult.

Before his most recent strokes, he began refusing care and became increasingly angry and unpredictable. When I tried to advocate for his medical needs, he lashed out and threatened me. It is heartbreaking to be experiencing this from my own father, yet it became my daily reality.

The hardest choice I have ever made was stepping back for my own safety while still ensuring he is cared for. I have arranged for home health visits three times a week, and I have found a small campground nearby where I can stay, close enough to check in as life allows.

This GoFundMe is to help me meet my own basic living expenses such as food, gas, campground rent, and the storage and logistics related to my dad’s care and home. I have reached the point where I cannot keep doing this alone.

Your support will help me:

I do not know what comes next. I only know that I am doing my best with what I have, and right now that means asking for help.

Thank you for reading, for sharing, for donating if you can, and for holding space for me in this season.

Your kindness truly makes a difference.

With gratitude,

Tifanie Mayberry