Help Zack Rebuild after Catastrophic Housefire and Stroke

Hi! My name is Zack Tippin. I was a head chef in many restaurants until I suffered a massive stroke in 2022. I can no longer work. I have no income and have been waiting to get on disability since the stroke.

At the end of March my house burnt down. It was a house fire of cataclysmic proportions that could be seen and smelled for miles.

 I lost everything. All material possessions, everything that I had grown to be familiar with. My home. My animals and biggest supporters. My baby, and my wife’s beloved service dog, Epstein and my beloved and sweet prince, my cat Manny.

The material items, can be replaced in time. My home is gone. We still have the land. But the animals are irreplaceable. 

When I left them in that burning room to save myself, my wife, my other dog, and my pig I left a part of myself behind that I will never get back.

I have went something similar during Hurricane Katrina. Only this is a little different because my wife and I are the only ones weathering this storm. I am trying not to let the flames engulf me, but it is very difficult.

 This fire has been the most difficult thing I’ve ever been through, with the exception of my stroke, which I’ll get to. 

And my life has not been easy. I need your help. Your support. Anything you can give.

 Even sharing this and getting this out there to anyone who might or might not know me, but who wants to help someone in dire need.

 Someone who life has put thru the wringer for a few years now. 

Someone who has a big heart.

 Someone who never hesitates to help anyone when they need it. 

 This crowdfunder is for rebuilding my life after this. For essentials. Food, clothing, shelter. Three things that no human should be without. 

For picking up the pieces. 

And having the means to do so.

 For having gas in a generator that is powering an RV I am living in.

For our own generator.

 For housewares. 

For moving forward. 

For having the motivation to do so. 

For having a weedwacker to cut the grass. 

Food for my animals. 

I have lost touch with a lot of my friends, coworkers, and loved ones due to the stroke. I don’t have much of a support system. And I need one.

 I have been waiting for my disability to come through since the stroke. For three years. I am on my second appeal. Since then I have had no income at all and have been supported by my wife whose only income is a disability check. 

If anything good comes from this incredibly devastating and traumatic event, it would be that I can reconnect with at least some of of my old friends and coworkers, and rebuild the support system that I lost due to the stroke. 

I will explain. The effects of the stroke are still with me to this day, I have difficulty speaking, lost my ability to type, write, (my wife is writing this for me right now) cannot count change or use numbers. Simple but necessary things that I used to take for granted have now become monumental in difficulty. Because of this I am unable to earn any sort of income. Or ever have a “normal” job again. This makes rebuilding my life after losing my home , animals and all material possessions nearly impossible. Also simple things, sending a text message, a Facebook message, dialing a phone number, speaking on the phone, trying to recount traumatic events like the fire or the stroke become nearly impossible as I just freeze up and cannot get the words out at all. 

 With this, I lost a lot of people I loved.

 I need your help In any way you can give it. 

 I realize others have been through the same with the stroke. I don’t know how they do it. They probably have support systems.

It wasn’t just my friends and coworkers I lost due to the stroke, but I lost my very large extended family. But for different reasons.

 I was cast out of my family because I was sick. I guess I was too much of a burden on them. It is awful but it has opened my eyes to how much they care about their “beloved” family members when they become sick and need them the most. 

 One of the only family members (aside from my beloved cousin) who supported me and stuck by me through my stroke was my dad. 

Since the fire,  My dad no longer speaks to me. 

He was thrown into a nursing home only weeks before the fire by my sister and family. 

A decision I was uncompromisingly against. 

 But my family won. 

And now he’s in there. 

Another “beloved” family member cast out when they were at their most desperate and needed the support of his family the most.

Losing my dad is inexplicably difficult in so many ways. I just hope I get him back someday.

 I have had a dark cloud that has followed me for years now that I cannot seem to shake. The stroke was just the beginning. The loss of my home being right up there with the stroke as one of the most horrific events to occur in my life. 

It’s still ongoing and I have not had time to grieve. As my wife and I are living between motels when she can afford it, and an RV run on a generator. And making life altering plans under extreme pressure and duress.

No human should have to endure this.

The generator itself costs $20 a day to run in gas. That’s $600 a month that we don’t have. The demlolition costs of what’s left of the house, motels, Ubers, clothes, socks, food for the animals, everything! This just adds insult to injury.

We are waiting for the house to get demolished, (very soon hopefully!). 

Once the house is demolished, we can get utilities, electric etc. and start to move on with our lives. 

Start the grieving process.  

This has all just been too much.

 I would like to grow vegetables. 

Maybe have a food truck in time. We have plans for this property. 

But everything must be taken in strides. Baby steps. 

 If you know me, you know I am not one to  crave pity. It makes me uncomfortable to even say all of this publicly. But it’s necessary. 

 It also makes me very uncomfortable to ask for anything. But it’s necessary.

 I have no choice. We have no money and have been in the dark many nights due to not being able to afford gas for this generator. Much less a generator of our own.

We can’t even afford to get our clothes to the laundromat!

I will be eternally greatful for any help/support I can get during this incredibly difficult time. I really appreciate you taking the time to read my story. ❤️❤️❤️