After losing my father to cancer at 16, I spent years working hard to transform myself and pursue my dream of serving in the Marine Corps. At 18, I enlisted and shipped off to Paris Island in December 2025. Near the end of bootcamp, I suffered a devastating knee injury—rupturing my ACL, tearing my meniscus, MCL, and PCL. Despite the pain, I managed to complete bootcamp and was sent to Camp Geiger, NC, where I was assigned to infantry. My contract was dropped after my injury was evaluated, and I spent the next year and a half in recovery, serving the Marine Corps in any way I could.

During my recovery, I faced countless challenges with medical communication between civilian and military providers. It took four months just to get an MRI, and when it finally happened, the results were blurry. My base doctor requested another MRI, but the civilian orthopedic side denied the request 20 times over two and a half months. As my injury worsened, I lost my dream contract and struggled in a difficult living environment. My physical and mental health deteriorated, and after over a year of painful service and stagnation, I pushed for a discharge. Six more months of waiting, working, and pain followed, until I was given an other than honorable discharge and left the Corps.

The discharge made it difficult for me to establish myself. Mentally, I felt as if I had failed myself and my Corps because of the other than honorable discharge. After a year of thinking, I've learned the truth: I'm injured, I've lost my father, my childhood dream, and my ability to live life as I used to given my newfound disability. All of this has happened within three years, and I spent most of that time working for a better future for myself and my family.

It's been a year since my discharge, and life has been rough. My knee brings unbearable pain, and my mental state has suffered. Still, I'm determined to get back on my feet. I need surgery for my knee and support with rent so I can dedicate 20 hours per week to school without risking further injury. I had worked three jobs and attended school after leaving the military, but my knee injury forced me to cut back. The funds will help me access medical treatment, stabilize my living situation, and finish my welding program. I've poured blood, sweat, and tears into getting back on my feet, but my knee can't bear the weight of it all. I'm pushing myself as hard as possible and refuse to give up, but I need help. Any support means the world to me.