On August 29th, I had to have my lower right leg amputated. It turns out, I have peripheral artery disease and didn't know it. What felt just like regular leg pain turned out to be a blood clot that had settled in a place where the circulation to my lower right leg was cut off. By the time I went to the hospital, it was too late. So I am now discovering a new life as an amputee.

Rather than feel sorry for myself, I'm embracing this challenge as a new chapter in my life. I'm excited to begin physical therapy and ready to push my limits. I know there is a lot of support out there for people in my situation, and I welcome the opportunity to find it.

The reason I'm starting this GoFundMe page is that my wife and I simply cannot handle the financial toll of this. We were living paycheck to paycheck before this, and now that it's unclear when or if I'll be able to financially support us again, we're very stressed about our financial future.

We've applied for disability and unemployment, but as I'm sure most of you are aware, these things take time and won't always cover even your basic living needs. Things like home modification are out of our reach. We can't afford the insurance co-pays. Frankly, right now even our monthly bills are overwhelming. We don't have a vehicle, so we have no way of getting around.

Help would be so appreciated. We will post updates as they come! Thank you for reading!