Help Will Gibson and Sweet Pearl's Ice Cream - Urgent

Hi, my name is Will Gibson, and I urgently need your help. I recently had an accident while riding as a passenger in an Uber and sustained a fractured vertebrae. I'll tell more about that in a moment, but first I'd like to share a little background.

I am the owner and founder of Sweet Pearl's Ice Cream, located in Garland, Texas. Sweet Pearl's was born out of an amazing story. I am disabled due to a devastating injury that happened 09/22/2020 that left me with 9 shattered ribs, a crushed shoulder blade, every tendon torn in my shoulder, herniated discs in my neck and back, a tbi, and later a stroke. I have had 6 surgeries including having my ribs plated together, shoulder reconstruction, a cervical fusion, and more. After my shoulder surgery I first started making ice cream out of boredom, but one day I posted about it in my neighborhood Facebook page and it was so well received that I decided to go for it and start an actual business. Soon after, we started getting attention and were featured in the Dallas News as well as on national TV. Not long after that, I got help from an investor who believed in me, and we decided to build the most beautiful ice cream shop anyone has ever seen. It took a lot of work and dedication, but just one year later we accomplished our goal and opened a beautiful ice cream shop located in Firewheel Town Center in Garland, Texas.

Genuinely, all I wanted was to create something that brought people happiness - coming from such a dark place, I was desperate for some light in my life and I got that through Sweet Pearl's Ice cream. It gives me an opportunity to work and contribute to society but it also gives an avenue through which I can really give back. I want to donate a percentage of profits to some causes I am passionate about and I am also excited about being able to have a role in helping young people grow in their own lives.

Unfortunately, just a few weeks after opening, the herniated discs in my back became so bad that I was unable to even stand, much less work in the store. This continued until January 19, 2024, when I was finally able to get the lumbar surgery I so badly needed. During the time that I was out, we were able to keep the business afloat thanks to a sizable loan.

We used that loan to hire a lot of extra help to do all the things that are normally done by the owner in a startup. Even with all the help, we were missing out on a lot of business due to not having the bandwidth or resources to manage the other parts of the business such as catering, which has been just devastating.

Fast forward six months – As I recovered from my spine surgery, I was finally able to slowly begin returning to work and things looked like they were finally starting to turn around. And just when I started feeling a lot stronger and able to work again, another tragedy struck.

Last Thursday, I was riding as a passenger in an Uber whose driver was very likely drunk or under the influence (it was genuinely the scariest car ride I ever experienced), and we were in a car wreck that rocked me so hard that I fractured my T8 vertebrae, and am once again dealing with debilitating pain. Additionally, it has been incredibly stressful dealing with all the medical appointments while still navigating the ins and outs of a new startup business.

This is the part where you come in. If you've made it this far, I thank you. Please consider donating – proceeds will go to help the business stay afloat by paying down the debt we acquired during my surgery, to help me and my family with mounting medical bills, and to help support my family during this trying time.

This business truly is a miracle and I firmly believe that it will survive this, but that doesn't mean I am not scared for the future. With your generous donation, you aren't just helping a business, you are helping make a difference in the world. Please join us on our mission of making the world a better place, one scoop at a time.

I believe that we are put on this earth to love one another and help those in need and this business is an incredible blessing in that it has given me my life back.

We are seeking $60,000 to help us hire a talented manager that can do all the things I cannot, and to help pay the mounting bills and back rent that piled up while I continue to recover.

Also, I would ask that if you pray, please pray for me. Pray for my wife as she is my primary caregiver and this is going to certainly take a toll on all of us. And finally, pray for my business. Pray that we can continue to bless those around us and be a light in this dark world.

Thank you so much for your donation!

All my best,

Will