Transmission repair cost preventing me from getting to work.

UPDATE: I found someone who will replace the transmission for $800 and that includes the transmission. It is a rebuilt transmission but it works as it should and comes with a warranty. Significantly less than the $3,200 AAMCO quoted me.

Hello. Thank you for taking the time to read my story today.

This is the short version:

I am a single mother of 2 teenagers. 2 years ago I had a job, a roof over my head, a vehicle, all the necessities... it was a pretty normal life.

On December 7th, 2023, at 7:05 AM, I went to wake up my 14-year-old son for school, and he didn't wake up on my first attempt. I said, "Okay, 5 more minutes. But don't think you're getting out of going to school today just because you're tired... I know you were up all night, I heard you in here laughing on the phone." ... he never woke up. His heart stopped in his sleep, and he was gone. I'd just seen him several hours before. The rest of that day is a blur but it was the day my life was thrown into total chaos. I have been struggling (to put it lightly) ever since. Emotionally, mentally, financially... Every way a person can struggle, I've been there. I went back to work after a month because I had no choice... I needed money. Then 3 months later, I was rear-ended at 60 mph on the highway, and my car was totaled. I was devastated because I had so many memories with my son in that car. The insurance company paid me what they thought my car was worth and I used the insurance money to buy a 2003 Tahoe. Fast forward about a year, and reality was finally setting in. Sometimes trauma takes its time to catch up with you. When it caught me, I wanted to run away from all of it. I was struggling to make it through the day, I could feel myself turning into a bitter and cold person, I was depressed and losing my will to keep fighting to survive. I was isolating myself from everybody, and I was falling apart. I quit my job and moved to Mexico for 5 months. I just needed a break. I needed time to process everything, let reality sink in and acknowledge it. For almost a year I had been ignoring the truth. Living in denial. Telling myself this was just temporary and everything would be back to normal again. I told myself these things so I could function, so I could go to work and pretend I was okay. It wasn't healthy.

I got back several days ago, to go back to work and rebuild my life and get back on my feet.

The first time I drove my truck when I got back... My transmission went out... Leaving me without a way to get to work before I even started working again. I don't have a penny to my name until I start working again, CERTAINLY not enough for the transmission job. And I can't work if I can't get there. I depend so much on that Tahoe. It is a vital life line in my life. I'm in a rural area and transportation is a must have. I wasn't expecting this to happen and I'm stuck in a bad position, I need help to get out of it. I hate asking for anything and I've always figured it out somehow on my own. But this time I don't think I can do it. This is the first time I haven't had transportation and it's hard to accomplish anything if you're not mobile. Life dealt me some difficult cards, and I've done the best I could with what I was dealt. I just need a little help to get me going again. Once I am back on the road and back to work, I can handle everything else. I have been stressing constantly because each day that passes and I can't get to work, or anywhere else, I get more and more behind.