My name is Karen Maldonado, a single mother of an 8-year-old boy and a 23-month-old girl. My mom and dad came to visit us from Mexico a month ago. Two weeks ago, in the early morning, my dad tripped down the stairs in my home and hit his head on the dining room table. I found him unconscious and bleeding heavily from his nose and mouth. He was rushed to the hospital and is in critical condition in the ICU at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville (where he has been for about 3 weeks). He has multiple skull fractures and a brain hemorrhage. It is a miracle that he is even alive. My dad is kind of conscious, barely moving, and has lost his sight. My parents were here just for a visit, so we don’t have any insurance. Unfortunately, we don’t qualify for any post-hospital care, and he might go home with a tracheostomy in his throat and a feeding tube to his stomach. I need to set up a special hospital bed and take care of him at home. I clean houses, and I have missed a lot of work and will have to miss even more work taking care of my dad when he comes home to live with me, my two young children, and my mom.

This has been an emotional and financial shock for our family. On top of the medical bills, I am worried about paying my rent, putting gas in my car so that I can even get to work, and buying food for myself and my family. Any help you could possibly give would be so appreciated. God bless you.