Hi, my name is Emily. I’m reaching out during a challenging time for our family.

On September 26th, I had back surgery — a laminectomy and microdiscectomy at L5-S1 — and I’m still in the very early stages of recovery. I can’t lift, drive, or handle almost all of the daily tasks for our children yet.

My husband, Richard, has served in the U.S. Coast Guard for 8yrs. Since 2021 he has served as an Avionics Electrical Technician working on the MH-65E Dolphin helicopters. He’s currently on leave to care for me and our four young children: Harrison (7), Luke (6), Josephine (4), and Jack (2). We are grateful that he is able to be home during this time for three weeks, but my full recovery is expected to take anywhere from eight to twelve weeks.

The recent government shutdown has made an already difficult situation more stressful. We did receive this paycheck, but we remember how hard the last shutdown was on families when it stretched past a month. We’re trying to prepare in case this one goes on longer and affects our ability to keep up with our mortgage, utilities, groceries for our neurodivergent children, our one car that is in need of maintenance, along with the added costs of recovery.

We are doing this completely alone with no family or friends available to help financially or even with childcare. We have never received any kind of support from anyone, and my husband has always worked tirelessly to make sure we are taken care of. I have put off my health as long as I was physically able, but I was having recurring bouts of immobility, and the time came when I needed to put myself first to be able to be healthy and strong for my kids.

We’re hopeful that this shutdown won’t last long, but we’re reaching out now to stay ahead of the curve. Any support — whether it’s a donation or simply sharing our story — will go directly toward keeping our family stable and allowing Richard to focus on caring for me and our kids while I heal.

Thank you for your kindness and support. Your generosity gives us hope and strength as we navigate this time together.