Hi everyone, my name is Nick, and I am writing this GoFundMe for Lida, my fiancée. On February 23rd, while walking downstairs at home, Lida slipped and fell, fracturing her back. She was alone, in pain, and unable to get up. I was teaching at the time and missed her initial calls. Eventually, she texted me “ambulance,” and I immediately left to help coordinate support.

Our neighbors, Chris and Holly, stepped in and helped call an ambulance to get her to the hospital. What we thought would be a short ER visit turned into a three-week-long hospital stay, followed by inpatient physical therapy.

The recovery process has been excruciatingly painful – she has had to relearn how to walk, dress herself, and do other basic life activities. At one point, the pain was so intense that she passed out. She desperately wanted to get up and move around but was unable to. Being so trapped in her body at first led to intense depression.

We are truly grateful for the wonderful friends and supportive community we have found in Pasadena. Many people visited Lida in the hospital and provided much-needed hope and encouragement. Lida was hesitant to share that she was in the hospital initially, but when word got out, she realized how much she needed the support.

Lida is now home and slowly recovering. She’s able to move with a cane and a back brace, but the recovery process is ongoing, painful, and uncertain.

She has already had a rough go of it medically over the last 2 years, and this was the straw that broke the camel’s back.. (haha).

She was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) back in early 2025. These medical conditions have been a source of daily chronic pain and fatigue, making it difficult for her to focus on her studies. Even before the spinal fracture, Lida’s energy had diminished dramatically as the RA has progressed, and some days she has trouble getting out of bed.

Unfortunately, good healthcare isn’t cheap, and while she has insurance, it does not cover everything, especially given that she is a graduate student.

Historically, we have both struggled with asking for help, but this current situation has gotten so dire that we will not be able to cover her medical expenses without help. We’re asking for help to ease this burden so Lida can focus on healing instead of worrying about how to manage the cost of care. Your donations will help cover the cost of overwhelming medical bills, both for her hospital stay and ongoing treatment and physical therapy.

If you’re able, please consider donating—even $20 makes a meaningful difference. If donating isn’t possible, sharing this page would also help more than you might expect. Any support truly matters.