Hello.  My name is David and I'm seeking help for my wife Cheryl & I.  I'm a contract worker for AT&T and a Lyft driver.  Cheryl is an Assistant Store Director for Safeway, and she is a Type-II diabetic.  She was diagnosed with Renal (Kidney) Failure in August of 2014.  She has been on dialysis since then, going for treatment three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Just recently she had received the opportunity to visit the Mayo Clinic in Arizona to undergo the evaluation process for a kidney transplant.  We've received an itinerary detailing a week-long process that includes multiple medical tests and procedures, plus classes and consultations with different doctors and specialists from the Mayo transplant team.  I myself will be attending a Transplant Caregiver class and consulting with a transplant social worker during this process.  This evaluation will determine if a transplant will be safe and is the best option for Cheryl.  It's the first step toward receiving a transplant should that opportunity become available.  She is scheduled to begin her evaluation on August 13th.  We will travel to Phoenix, AZ on August 12th and return on August 18th.


The problem I'm facing involves finances.  Like many other couples out there, we're already up to our waists in debt, but the last few months have been particularly hard.  In February I was made aware of a mistake on our 2013 taxes, and in April we received notice of a recent forgiveness of debt toward one of Cheryl's old student loans.  Both have caused a huge financial setback for the year.  For those unaware, forgiven debt is seen by the IRS as immediate and taxable income, even if you were not previously made aware of the forgiven amount.  And although my 2013 mistake was simply a transposed number on my CA return, it ended up resulting in a significant amount owed to the Franchise Tax Board.   Also, Cheryl was recently hospitalized for a leg injury which resulted in time away from work.  Unfortunately, she has no sick time until August.


I've worked hard to manage our numbers as best as I can, and for the most part, we've been keeping afloat pretty well.  But the recent arrangements with the CA FTB and the IRS have been costly against our budget, adding to our monthly expenses and causing us to dip into the red.  What little we had in savings has since been wiped out and our cards are maxed.  Add to that situation her recent hospital stay, the sudden costs for travel to AZ... you can imagine the boat I'm in.  And although she will be covered for the trip with newly accrued sick time, I won't be.  As a contractor, I don't earn sick time or vacation time.  Plus, I won't be able to drive for Lyft in AZ without my vehicle.  The trip will mean a week's loss in pay from my regular job, plus the loss of opportunity for additional income from Lyft driving.  Lately, it feels as if for every step forward I make towards clearing our past debt, something rears its head and takes me two steps back.  I can't let one of my missteps be the reason why my wife can't take this opportunity, and that's why I'm here.

I've set up this campaign to raise funds to help cover our trip to Arizona from August 12th through August 18th (includes airfare, hotel, car rental, and expenses), and possibly ease the burden of the financial impact we'll endure along with it.  I don't ask for anything beyond that, but any excess above the campaign would immediately go toward the repayment of debt.  Honestly, any little bit would be a huge help in this endeavor.  Even if you're unable to donate, you could help by spreading the word.  No matter what, I truly and greatly appreciate you taking the time to read about our situation.  One Love and God Bless...

- David M.