Please help support Dan's journey to recovery.

It’s been a long few months and it’s become apparent that we are now in a place where asking for help is necessary. Since late last year, I’ve watched my husband, Dan, struggle through challenge after challenge. Starting with his position being dissolved at work, followed immediately by the loss of his father, and then having to spend two months away from home, training for a new job.

Just when we thought things were getting back to normal, he suffered an ischemic stroke caused by a tear in his femoral artery, that completely took out the communication center of his brain. Unfortunately, it’s getting to be more than we can realistically afford. While he IS making progress, returning to work is not something that is in the cards right now. Not to say that he won’t be going back, but we simply don’t know when it will be a possibility and the medical bills are now coming in, in waves.

The ONE thing he desperately needs is speech therapy, and he goes three times a week, without fail. Unfortunately, short-term disability doesn’t allow us enough to cover it for much longer and after the past six months, our savings account is nearly drained. Each visit, after insurance, is $90.00, which leaves us responsible for over $1000 per month (on top of the $500 per month just to keep medical insurance in force) to keep it going. I am working, thankfully from home, but it’s not enough to cover much. I am not able to work out of the house at this point, as I am not Dan’s caretaker and I can’t leave him alone since he is unable to communicate clearly. An emergency while I was away could be disastrous.

I do therapy with him on my own, four days per week, because he was denied care at an intensive inpatient facility. He was able to walk after his stroke. We've learned that speech therapy alone isn’t a “priority” unless you are also unable to walk. While I don’t understand this, I have no choice but to accept it and do what I can to make sure that this man receives ALL of the care that he possibly can. Unfortunately, that comes at a huge cost.

I understand that we are all in our own situations, and if you are unable to help financially, perhaps you could help by sharing this with others. I am happy to offer any of my talents in exchange for a donation and while not many folks have a huge use for a graphic artist or a social media director, I’m here if you do! If all you have to give are prayers or positive vibes, we will take those, too! Good energy is worth so much to us.

The days do get a bit monotonous and sometimes it’s a bit too easy to lose hope. Keeping our spirits up has become a full-time job for both of us. We KNOW that if we don’t stay positive, this will be ten times more difficult and my only concern is helping Dan get back to “being Dan”. That is ALL I WANT.

It's awe-inspiring to me, to see someone like Dan, who has given to others with such a selfless heart. He has given so much to those who needed his help without expecting anything in return and now it just hurts because I can’t do enough for him. I have no way of providing what he needs while keeping the household afloat at the same time. I hate that I have to choose between a home, and his health and well-being. As a wife, this is crushing and it is so painful to watch Dan feel like a burden. This was not his fault and he should never feel like he is a burden. Not for a second.

I am a person who loathes asking for help, but I have no other choice at this point. I hope you will consider donating towards a portion of the cost for his speech pathologist and growing medical bills, which after insurance, are well over anything we could EVER afford.

Thank you for your consideration. We know how difficult it is to simply survive nowadays and we know that it’s not easy to part with our hard-earned money. We do not want financial help from anyone who cannot COMFORTABLY give. As I said, prayers, good vibes, or even just a message of encouragement are PLENTY.

But if you ARE able to help, please know that not a single dime will go to waste and you are helping me to take care of the person that keeps ME going, that has kept a family going for thirty years, someone who allowed me the privilege of being a stay at home mom for most of my kids’ young lives. I love this man with everything that I am, I owe him more than I can ever repay, and I just want to see him succeed.