Hi, my name is Kenny, and you may know me from @positivelywoodworking on Instagram. A few of us in the Instagram maker community set up this Go Fund Me to raise money to support our friend Stephen Floyd (@stumble_and_steady_co) and his family as they work through growing medical and living expenses in the wake of Stephen's recent double-fusion spinal surgery.

Stephen suffered from a degenerative condition in his spine that was both extremely painful and made his spine very unstable. It's uncommon to perform a double fusion (fusing two pairs of vertebrae) and is generally only used as a last resort in extreme cases.

Beyond the physical discomfort, Stephen is dealing with the loss of his income. As a lineman for a major telecommunications company, Stephen's job was physically demanding, so he can't continue in this line of work. In addition, Stephen's wife Chelsea is a stay-at-home mom, a necessity given how much travel Stephen's work has required the past several years. You know when big storms roll through and knock out power and communications lines for thousands of people? Stephen was one of the people responsible for heading into those areas to get telecommunications back online, requiring him to be away from his family for weeks at a time.

Because his condition results from degenerative disease and not a specific injury, Stephen doesn't qualify for workers' compensation benefits. As a result, the Floyd family currently relies on short-term disability as his family's sole source of income (at half his usual rate), and those benefits will run out eventually.

At 33 years old, with a wife and three young children, Stephen has just endured a life-changing surgery that will require him to find a new source of income while he adapts to a new reality regarding his physical capabilities. He cannot interview for future employment while on disability benefits, so he has no idea what the future holds financially. To reduce their financial burden, Stephen and his wife have decided to sell their home and use the proceeds to purchase land from a family member in the hopes of building a smaller house mortgage-free.

In the meantime, medical bills and living expenses are piling up. Please consider helping Stephen and the Floyd family as they navigate this uncertain period of change. Right now, their outgoing expenses are higher than incoming funds. Everything we raise will help keep them afloat until they can sell their house and find new employment.

Thank you and God bless.