In June 2020, a simple fall causing a tiny scratch on her lower back shattered our friend Dee’s life. In a matter of days, things changed. It was bad. Really bad. Dee was diagnosed with Necrotizing Fasciitis—a severe, fast-moving flesh-eating bacteria—and rushed into emergency surgery.

To save her life, surgeons had to perform radical, life-altering procedures, leaving her with a large, gaping wound that required around-the-clock care. She was eventually left with a significantly large portion of her lower back entirely missing—including the flesh, skin, muscle, fat, nerves, and basically everything that wasn't a major organ. The devastating outcome of removing this vast amount of tissue permanently restructured her body. Without the core muscle, fat, and tissue required to support the human frame—things we completely take for granted until they are literally gone—Dee is now permanently stuck in a bent-over position. She stands and lives at a literal 90-degree angle at the waist.

This profound structural change drastically alters her daily routine and limits her physical abilities. Dee is completely unable to stand straight, spending her life at half her original 5'3" height. She cannot reach above her head and cannot lift anything weighing over 10 pounds. Today, she struggles constantly with her manual rollator walking seat. This is especially difficult when she is alone and has to physically transfer the heavy rollator in and out of her vehicle and house. Because of this permanent spinal bend and severe weakness, she cannot lay flat in a traditional bed and has spent years being forced to sleep sitting upright on a couch.

Due to finances and space limitations, Devin (who is 10 now!) has stayed with his older sister, Destiny, her husband, and his two cousins who are all roughly two years apart, while Dee has been staying about 60 miles away. She is literally sleeping on a friend's sofa and has been for just shy of a year now, in an already overcrowded two-story home. Because of her severe mobility limitations, navigating the stairs in a two-story layout is an absolute nightmare, making it incredibly difficult and dangerous for her to try to access anything upstairs. Imagine spending every night sleeping fully upright on the couch, in somebody else's home. Imagine there being no end in sight, no changes to come. Imagine wanting more than anything to tuck your child in bed and finally end your day in a nice comfy space all your own, but the best you can do is a FaceTime phone call at bedtime to blow kisses and say goodnight.

As deeply grateful as Dee is for her friend’s incredible kindness, this arrangement simply cannot be permanent. Dee wants nothing more than to break this loop and build a real future with her son, but her fixed $600 monthly disability check barely covers basic survival. It leaves absolutely no room for the little things and leaves her entirely vulnerable if another crisis hits. Tragically, it was this exact lack of funds early on that ultimately resulted in the loss of all her household goods that had been kept in storage during her long hospital stays and subsequent lack of stability. They are truly starting over from scratch.

Their current summer schedule has made this separation even more exhausting. Devin has sports team obligations running all summer straight through until school resumes in the fall. Because his team is based near his sister's house, Devin has to stay there, while Dee lives 60 miles away. She has been traveling back and forth, driving massive distances just to attend his practices and scrimmages as often as possible. Operating a vehicle and enduring that long drive back and forth is incredibly difficult and agonizingly painful for Dee physically, placing an immense strain on her restructured frame. Making this long commute on a fixed disability check—especially with climbing gas prices—is an overwhelming financial and physical toll.

Right now, Dee’s isolation is even more severe because she does not have an active cell phone plan. She relies on an old phone with no service, meaning she can only communicate when she is able to connect to free public Wi-Fi. When she leaves the house, she is cut off from phone calls and texts, creating a stressful barrier to coordination and a significant safety concern if she were to experience a medical emergency or fall while away.

This sweet 10-year-old boy has spent his entire childhood watching his mother fight for her life. He has been her lifelong cheerleader, rooting for her since he was just 4 years old. It is long past due for this mother and son to pick things up, get back on track, and aim for the future. They need a cozy place together where Dee can improve and Devin can slide seamlessly into the new school year. We are doing everything we can to get Dee back in a position to be under her own roof, ready to step up and be Devin's biggest cheerleader, just as he has done for her throughout his young life. There is no time to waste.

Our Goal: Protect Her Income & Rebuild Their Life

Dee’s $600 disability income cannot cover the cost of starting over, let alone the specialized care she needs. Our goal is to raise a fund that fully protects her income so she never faces displacement or medical neglect again.

Your donations will directly help fund:

A Soft Transition: 1 to 2 months (an estimated 4 to 8 weeks) in an extended-stay suite this summer. The exact timeframe is dependent on how long it takes to find a permanent home, though we hope it will be much sooner. The purpose of this time is to eliminate the 60-mile commute, help them re-foster a solid relationship, get back on steady footing, and prepare Devin emotionally for the school year while remaining close to his summer sports schedule. During this period, long-term living arrangements will be sought out, and time will be spent preparing their permanent home with vital mobility additions like handrails to ensure it is safe and functional.

Safe, Permanent Housing: A full year of lease runway (including first, last, security, and utility deposits) for a safe, ground-floor apartment that matches Dee's mobility needs, along with a pre-paid 12-month renters insurance policy to permanently secure and protect their new home.

Reliable Connectivity for Mother & Son: A 12-month prepaid cell phone plan to provide Dee with reliable, active service wherever she goes, with the potential to include a line for Devin so they can always stay easily connected and safe.

Essential Medical & Mobility Equipment: A lightweight, remote-controlled folding motorized scooter—which has become an absolute necessity to replace the heavy rollator she cannot lift—alongside a power lift chair to help her stand safely, and a critical medical adjustable bed with a specialized mattress so Dee can finally move off the couch and sleep comfortably.

Out-of-Pocket Healthcare & Rehabilitation Buffer: Funding for uncovered physical therapy, occupational therapy, home health care assistance for tasks she cannot physically perform, insurance deductibles, and co-pays for medications and doctor visits. This will also fund a local fitness/pool membership (such as the YMCA) for Dee and Devin. Swimming provides a safe, weightless environment essential for Dee's ongoing physical rehabilitation and frame alignment, while giving them a healthy, active space to bond.

An Accessible Home & Household Support: Setting aside a dedicated fund for professional house cleaning and chore assistance. Because her lower back muscles are entirely gone, heavy physical chores are structurally impossible for Dee to perform, and Devin is far too young to handle them on his own. This fund will also go toward re-buying lost furniture—including an accessible front-loading washer/dryer (since her limited reach prevents her from using a top-loader)—alongside a complete twin bedroom set, mattress, linens, and hangers for Devin so he can finally have a comfortable space entirely his own. We will also use these funds for fully stocking their new home from day one with paper products, household cleaners, toiletries, and a stocked pantry with groceries.

An Emergency Safety Net for Devin: An emergency cash reserve specifically set aside for Devin's needs, ensuring that if he faces an illness, school expense, or unexpected need, Dee’s fixed income remains completely protected.

A Welcome Home Present for Devin: To celebrate this long-awaited reunion and help a 10-year-old boy transition into a brand new home, we want to surprise him with a welcome home present. Keeping in mind he is starting over with whatever hand-me-downs he brings with him, we want to provide him with a modern device entirely his own—whether that is a gaming system, a VR headset, or a tablet. This will give him an outlet to unwind, play, and seamlessly stay connected with his cousins and friends online.

Dee has fought through the unimaginable to stay here for her children. Now, she just wants to be a mom under her own roof. Please consider donating or sharing this page to help us bring Dee and Devin home together.

The kindness shown by the wonderful people here—who with their kind words of encouragement, their sharing of experiences and stories, and their generosity—is what it takes to make a difference in the lives of strangers. Her friends and I are forever grateful for every single person who reads these words and makes the choice to donate if they are able, but just as grateful if you would simply pass their story along to others. Word of mouth (and the internet) is a powerful thing. We can make this happen for them. Let's Gooooo!

This campaign was created and is maintained by a close personal friend of Dee's to share her story. Please note that the page administrator has zero contact, control, or access to any funds raised by this campaign. All donations flow directly and securely to the official designated beneficiary, Destiny, via GoFundMe's secure payment system. The beneficiary holds sole legal custody and financial responsibility for the distribution of these funds. For updates or direct questions regarding the use of proceeds, please use the contact button below to reach the family.