My name is Erica DeJesus, and I’m sharing our story with a full heart—and a heavy one.

A few months ago, my fiancé, Michael, was hit by a drunk driver while riding his motorcycle. In a single moment, everything about our future changed.

Michael survived—but just barely. He now lives with a tracheostomy to breathe and a PEG tube to eat. He has a long road of recovery ahead, with more challenges than we ever imagined.

Since the accident, I’ve been by his side every moment. I became his full-time caregiver, not because I had to—but because I love him with everything in me. I left my job to care for him around the clock. I clean his trach, feed him through his tube, manage medications, and help him through the emotional pain that comes with surviving something so traumatic.

We have reached out to so many agencies, programs, and organizations—but the help we truly need hasn’t come. We’ve hit wall after wall. And still—we keep going.

This journey is exhausting. It’s isolating. It’s terrifying at times. But it’s also filled with love, with quiet strength, and with hope.

I’m creating this fundraiser because I’ve reached the point where I can’t carry this alone anymore. I need help—to get the supplies that insurance doesn’t cover, to make sure Michael gets to appointments safely, and to allow us to simply breathe for a moment without worrying about how we’ll make it . If you can donate, share, or send prayers—thank you. It truly means more than words can say.

With love,

Erica