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<div><strong>I hurt my back so badly that I couldn't walk for two weeks.</strong> The pain was unreal, the fear was real, and the recovery is slow. On Monday, November 17th, I went I had emergency surgery. I had a bulging disc between my L3 and L4 that was pushing against my spinal cord. The pressure against my spinal cord if not treated immediately would have lead to me being paralyzed. <strong>I'll be out of work for the next 3 months, going through physical therapy, right here around the holidays, with two kids depending on me.</strong>
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<div>On November 17th, I slipped a disc in my lower back and was unable to stand or walk. I was rushed to the hospital by ambulance and underwent emergency back surgery. I’ll be out of work for the next 2–3 months, and the financial strain of medical bills, recovery, and trying to give my two kids a normal Christmas has put me in a tough place. I’m a proud, self-made welder who never asks for help, but right now, I need it.
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<div>Full Story:
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<div>Life this past year has been anything but easy. As a father and an ex-husband, I’ve had moments where I felt like a failure. But I believe God put me on this path to build a stronger relationship with Him and reshape the man He wants me to be.
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<div>Being a traveling plant welder was always my dream. Not just the work, but the brotherhood, the pride, the feeling of being valuable on a job. It’s hard to beat that.
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<div>On November 17th, everything changed. I slipped a disc between my L3 and L4, and the pain was so severe I couldn’t stand or walk. I stayed in bed for days hoping it would get better, but it only got worse. Eventually, I was taken to the hospital in an ambulance, that’s how bad it was. I couldn't find the strength to sit, let alone stand long enough to get myself to the ER, thats how bad it was.
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<div>I underwent emergency back surgery, the disc was pushing against my spinal cord, causing numbness and lose all feeling in my legs. Without surgery, if the slipped disc became worse, I was at risk of becoming paralyze. I’m grateful to say I’m doing better. But I may never get back to 100%, and my recovery will keep me out of work for the next two to three months. I will need physical therapy, and to take things slow, one step at a time. As a single dad trying to take care of myself and my kids, this has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through.
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<div>One thing God has shown me through all of this is my struggle with pride. I’m a self-made man. I provide. I give. I don’t ask. But sometimes life humbles you, and right now, I need help to get through this recovery.
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<div>Every dollar raised will go toward:
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<div>    •    Medical expenses
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<div>    •    Bills while I’m unable to work
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<div>    •    Christmas presents for my kids
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<div>If I don’t receive a single donation, I’ll still be grateful. I’ve been blessed with family, friends, and a welding community I’m proud to be part of. But if you can help, even by sharing this, it would mean the world to me.
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<div>Thank you for every prayer, every message, and every bit of encouragement.
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<div>Being a good father, a good friend, and a good welder has always been my purpose, and this recovery has given me a new perspective on what really matters.
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<div>God bless, and thank you for reading.
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<div><strong>Thank You</strong>
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<div>Whether you donate, share this, or pray over it, I’m grateful. Truly.
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<div>I’m ready to rebuild—not just my back, but my purpose.
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<div>And I won’t forget the ones who helped me stand again.
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<div>No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or returns on investment are offered in exchange for any donations made to your GoFundMe
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Pedro Acosta

William Brown

Brian Scott

Jose Mateo

Anonymous

Connor Dales

Bryan Crawford

Ryan Hines

Rolando Gallegos

Jonathan Wark

Christina Brown

Erik Whitley

Craig Acosta

Trena Cauthon

Jeff King

Greg Z

Caden Cline

Heather Taylor

Injured Welder & Single Father Recovering From Back Surgery

platform

Platform is iOS

Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

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English only

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Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

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Platform is iOS v11.0.0 and above

Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

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Posters INTL

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iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

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Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

currencyCode

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

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start gfm intl allowed locales

Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

unclaimed charities

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AI Chatbot Audience

amp13 only new funds (prod) (anyword auto)

UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

shared notification bell audience

Custom users

ach frontend audience

Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

Team EGG - IP Address list

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UC Tipping v20250107

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Auto Thanks V3 Rollout Audience

Thank you V3 testing whitelist

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CH Donation Upsell audience

Android v10.6.0 and above

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Localized Currency

v11.5.0 and above

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Survicate

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hasKnownDonors

PYMK has donors

iOS v12.3.0 and above

Injured Welder & Single Father Recovering From Back Surgery

Still $1,300 to go. Help us build momentum.