My name is Dennis, and my wife Michelle and I have been married for 48 years. Our journey together has been filled with love, resilience, and a few unique stories—like the fact that we were married by a coroner, in the coroner's inquest room! The past few years, though, have brought challenges we never could have imagined. Michelle became seriously ill and had to be flown to Las Vegas for urgent medical care. She developed three fistulas, one acting like an ostomy, and has endured multiple hospitalizations and flights to Sunrise Hospital. With no homecare available in our small town, I learned to care for Michelle myself, guided by the kindness and expertise of nurses and CNAs.

While we were focused on Michelle’s health, a severe storm hit our town and caused a fire in our breaker box. We lost water and electricity for 13 months, relying on a generator to get by. With fuel costs rising and using up to 8 gallons a day, the expenses quickly added up. Our home is 100 miles from Death Valley, and the winters here can be brutally cold. Through it all, Michelle’s condition has not improved—she is now bedridden, in constant pain, and has lost a significant amount of weight.

We are doing our best to keep going, but the financial strain has become overwhelming. The funds raised will help us pay down the generator costs that piled up while we were without power, and will also go toward repairing our badly leaking roof, which is currently only covered by a tarp. We are deeply grateful for any support you can offer. As a small token of our appreciation, we would love to create mixed media art pieces to thank those who help us during this difficult time.