Open. Heart. Surgery

Hi, my name is Brandon Huigens. I'm a 45 year old single father and chef living with chronic kidney disease, stage 3b, due to a genetic deformity in my bladder. This disease limits me physically and prevents me from maintaining a full-time job, and after years of attempting and reattempting to work full time, I finally have to admit my body cannot handle a full time kitchen position. On top of my kidney condition, doctors recently found I had a severely leaking hole in my heart's mitral valve, which required immediate surgery, required February 13th. I'm recovering well, but I'm intensely sore and exhausted and looking a three month recovery period, setting me back financially even further. I'm so tired of being sick.

I cannot afford a vehicle or to move into my own residence. My daughter lives in Tempe and I live in Peoria. I ride the light rail to her and back twice every weekend, (a 6-7 hour round trip) which deeply cuts into our limited time together. Additionally, my ACCHS medical insurance was recently cancelled and I am left without prescriptions, medical supplies, and necessary appointments to avoid going on dialysis (UPDATE: thankfully, my insurance has been reinstated). I pay my own bills, but it's becoming impossible to do so in my deteriorating condition. I'd like to purchase a vehicle and move closer to my daughter, and hopefully find full time employment outside of a physically demanding kitchen environment. I'm eternally grateful for the life I have lived, but still, I have dreams. I have Kingsley. My time here is not over. Thank you for your time and consideration.