Hello! My name is Tori Musngi and I am a 23-year old student in my 3rd year of a Doctor of Physical Therapy program in San Antonio, TX. During finals week of my second semester of PT school, my dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, after suddenly losing his ability to walk due to multiple tumors in his lungs that had already spread to his spine. With the support of my professors at my university, I was able to take my exams after visiting my dad at home in Dallas following his emergency spinal surgery. I continued to attend school, but while trying to focus on my studies, I expressed to my professors that I felt the need to leave school in order to financially and emotionally support my family. However, my dad had always set my education as a priority, so we decided it was best for me to stay in school, so I could learn how I could help him and other patients with a similar diagnosis. I was driving home to Dallas, TX and back 600 miles most weekends, since I did not know what day would be his last and wanted to spend as much time as I could with him. After 5 months of battling the painfully aggressive disease, my dad took his last breath while in the arms of me, my sister and my mom’s on a Sunday afternoon.
During those 5 months, my supportive older sister, Nicole, was having to take off many days of work in order to bring my dad to his doctor’s appointments. Since he could no longer walk, transferring my dad in and out of a low car into a wheelchair by herself took a toll on her body as well. Nicole became the primary caregiver of my dad and was making sure my dad was taking each of his copious amounts of prescribed medications on time, being fed all his meals and trying to ease his pain or offer support as much as she could. At the same time, my hard-working mom (a nurse with two separate work-places), was still trying to work 6 days a week in order to make ends meet. However, as the cancer metastasized, my dad’s cognitive function decreased and his health status in general declined, my mom was having to regularly leave her own job so that she could care for my dad at home. As a result, my family fell behind on bills and maintaining our home and cars because my dad’s health became our primary focus.
One of my dad’s main hobbies was fixing cars. He always made sure to properly maintain them and could fix any issues they had, even though they were older and had a few bumps and bruises of their own. Since he was diagnosed, I have been having to travel so much that it has taken a toll on the cars we own, especially since my dad is no longer here to help me maintain them or fix them. One tire blew out while I was driving 75 mph on a highway. One suffered two hit and runs (thankfully while I was not in the car). One was pouring out gasoline from the engine. One died as I was about to enter the highway and could not be moved out of the road without being dragged by a tow truck. As a result, my classmates have been driving me to school, I pay to take Ubers or Lyfts to school, and pay for buses in order to get home to Dallas to see my mom and sister.
With all these issues, I am thankful to not have been harmed in an accident, but these cars are still unreliable, without having proper parts replaced. This GoFundMe was created in order for some financial support in order to relieve some of the stresses me and my family have been experiencing during this time of need, as I continue on my educational journey of becoming a Physical Therapist. Thank you so much for your consideration… and may this be at least a reminder as well to appreciate your loved ones for all they are.

During those 5 months, my supportive older sister, Nicole, was having to take off many days of work in order to bring my dad to his doctor’s appointments. Since he could no longer walk, transferring my dad in and out of a low car into a wheelchair by herself took a toll on her body as well. Nicole became the primary caregiver of my dad and was making sure my dad was taking each of his copious amounts of prescribed medications on time, being fed all his meals and trying to ease his pain or offer support as much as she could. At the same time, my hard-working mom (a nurse with two separate work-places), was still trying to work 6 days a week in order to make ends meet. However, as the cancer metastasized, my dad’s cognitive function decreased and his health status in general declined, my mom was having to regularly leave her own job so that she could care for my dad at home. As a result, my family fell behind on bills and maintaining our home and cars because my dad’s health became our primary focus.
One of my dad’s main hobbies was fixing cars. He always made sure to properly maintain them and could fix any issues they had, even though they were older and had a few bumps and bruises of their own. Since he was diagnosed, I have been having to travel so much that it has taken a toll on the cars we own, especially since my dad is no longer here to help me maintain them or fix them. One tire blew out while I was driving 75 mph on a highway. One suffered two hit and runs (thankfully while I was not in the car). One was pouring out gasoline from the engine. One died as I was about to enter the highway and could not be moved out of the road without being dragged by a tow truck. As a result, my classmates have been driving me to school, I pay to take Ubers or Lyfts to school, and pay for buses in order to get home to Dallas to see my mom and sister.
With all these issues, I am thankful to not have been harmed in an accident, but these cars are still unreliable, without having proper parts replaced. This GoFundMe was created in order for some financial support in order to relieve some of the stresses me and my family have been experiencing during this time of need, as I continue on my educational journey of becoming a Physical Therapist. Thank you so much for your consideration… and may this be at least a reminder as well to appreciate your loved ones for all they are.