My name is Joey. A year ago, I packed up my life in Northern Ireland and moved home to Wales. It wasn't a choice I made lightly, but my family needed me. My mother had lost her leg and was now in a wheelchair, and my father, after a series of strokes, was battling dementia. I knew I had to be there.

​To be mobile for work and to help them in their rural home, I got a motorbike. It was a practical solution that gave me the freedom to be a son, a carer, and an employee. For a while, things started looking up. With my sister's support, I found a new management job I loved, a wonderful best friend, and my own small home nearby. My parents' health was even showing signs of improvement. After a year of sacrifice, it felt like life was finally smiling on me.

​Then, last Monday, on my commute home – just ten minutes from my front door – my world went dark. I was in a terrible accident. I woke no memory of what happened , only the feeling of paramedics cutting away my gear. The damage was severe: six shattered ribs, a fractured scapula, a broken neck, and a bleed on my brain. The doctors said I was lucky to be alive.

​Now, I'm home from the hospital, but I'm bed-bound and facing a recovery of at least three months. The timing couldn't be worse. My work has informed me that I’m only entitled to Statutory Sick Pay, which is just £118 a week. I have no savings – every penny I had went into moving back for my parents and setting up my new life just last month. A visit to Citizens Advice confirmed my fears; there's very little help available.

​The joy and hope I felt just weeks ago have been replaced by anxiety and despair.

My father once told me, "It takes a strong man to admit to himself that he needs help, but it takes a stronger man to reach out and ask for it."

​So, with every ounce of strength I have left, from this bed, I am reaching out to you. I am asking for help to bridge this impossible gap. Your support would help me cover my rent and bills while I heal, allowing me to focus on recovery without the terror of losing the new life I worked so hard to build.

​Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Any help you can offer would be a light in this overwhelming darkness..