Update for Keith (KP) Pettus

Greetings everyone.

The plea is being started on behalf of Keith Pettus (KP).

If you know me, then you know how special this guy is to me and has been his whole life (like a son). I was barely a teenager, and one would easily see me running around the John Hay Homes (Springfield, IL) with two toddlers by my side, Keith and his big sister.

Keith is currently facing severe life challenges. In checking on him today, he said that "today wasn't a good day" (worse than normal) and directed me to his FB post (see below). This moved me emotionally to start this account (for basic needs of food, medical, shelter), in the interim of him (hopefully) receiving some benefits and hopefully securing some work that he can do with his medical condition.

Sure, we all face challenges but as we all know, each of us handle our struggles differently. It takes great courage to be vulnerable (especially in the black community and as a male) in a society that expects us to always be strong.

Please keep him in your prayers as he adjusts to his new normal and that he may always be encouraged during this tough season! I know that there was a reason that God spared him. Leaving words of encouragement on his page or reaching out to him is welcome and very appreciated.

Thanks

~ Teri

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In his words:

I miss my mom yall between her being gone and my heart ❤️ condition and my new limitations on life hell i still miss my dad don't usually where my emotions on my sleeve but the pain is unbearable most times I almost died 4 months ago I was alone in my apartment when I suffered an aortic dissection of the heart which means my aorta tore from the the top down to my pelvis all I kept hearing the doctors say is that it was a massive tear but alone in my apartment when this happened my whole body from my chest to my legs locked up I couldn't hardly breathe get up straighten out or walk my phone died right after I was able to message my family chat I need help my nephew Alfred was on It he called ambulance and told my sister after managing to make it to my door not seeing anyone close a enough to ask for help I managed to get a percent on my phone I called 911 and barely breathing I said I need help and understanding how severe the situation was she immediately asked my address I was in complete agony and pain when paramedics arrived they worked on me some in my apartment then with little use of my legs I scooted down the stairs and they put me on the stretcher I felt like I was locking up again in the ambulance and felt like I was fading in and out they worked on me some more I felt like I was in the movies by the way they rushed me back there and how I took priority over other patients I was in pain for hours while the doctors ran test and asked me questions my sister showed up and a man came in asking if I had heart surgery before we told him no before looking at each other like wtf we were relieved when he said my chart had been mixed up with someone else but then they figured out what was wrong with me which is good because only about 40 percent of people this happen to make it to the hospital another percentage die because doctors could not diagnose the very very rare condition but then they dropped an complete bombshell on me so after the whole chart swap thing it was still my heart I was in the icu for 2 weeks they monitored me extremely because my blood pressure was high that and smoking is was they said caused it so they was in there every 15 mins checking my vitals and stuff and feeding me medicines and morphine In my iv i felt like i could die even with my cousin Teri coming from Mississippi to help me esure they no that its people that care about me and you know give me the best chance at living doctors decided not to do surgery on me and chose to treat it with medicine which means instead of surgery which I think would have been better even though I could die that way too. I was in the hospital for another week while doctors figured out a regiment of pills that work I have to take a bunch of medicine to keep my blood pressure down below 120 I take 23 pills a day I have a cuff to check my blood pressure my condition does not heal its does not get better I can only literally have to keep it from getting worse I had morphine and oxys in there and the pain was still excruciating, now out of all them pills I take doctors didn't prescribe me any pain pills so all I have is Tylenol. I'm in pain and have just this funny feeling like 2 hours before each time I take my pills so that's like six hours out of the day I feel that way and the rest of the day I still feel like I got shot by willy Manchester watch South Central if u don't know what I mean I can't strain my body much at all no more working in the capacity that I was used to take care of me and my children I have to find work that's light duty basically compared to how I worked I had a flight ✈️ booked to Mississippi that we canceled because I can't fly anymore. I can't play sports I shot some little pop shots but I'm literally scared to shoot a full size ball i can't go to the gym and lift I can't pick up kids and swing them around it feels like I can't do anything. Still everyday i wake up i think is a miracle just think things would be a Lil easier if I had my mom I had to quit my job and I lost my apartment im broke and I have no income and I'm waiting for disability if you know me like that or feel close to me in any kind of way please reach out to me and offer me any kind of assistance prayer ideals or any offering you may have that to help my situation, im trying to find something part time or under the table that I can manage. I have to stay motivated to create some type of wealth for me and my kids for them because if not with my limitations on life I'd probably just settle for having food and shelter my and a Lil bud sorry I might always smoke but I did quit them cigs cold turkey like bish I don't even want no patch me about to cuss the nurse out my biggest fear is not living long enough for my kids to reach the age i was when my dad died which is in about 10 years lord let me live at least that long shid with my life experiences its still not easy to say this has been by far the worse 4 months of my life. I sorry so long but it's just so much more I wanna say but can't its just too much. but I am thankful for my cousin Teri peters coming from the sip to help me for about almost 2 weeks in hospital and still supporting me through process my aunt angel helping me financially my brother deron heard driving me everywhere I needed to go my sister crisshawnna dixon showing up first, and my brother marks Kash Coleman allowing me to catch a train last minute to come stay with him in Dallas Texas which even tho it's hard being away from my kids is something I should have did years ago I'm happy at least being here i just look at life differently now I wish I could get more people to not care so much about things with little or no significance one minute posting rip the next minute posting the most stupidest shit even the people most effected some time or for some to just treat they mom better or treat they kids better and deep down yall know what I'm talking about but yeah I miss my dad my mom and actually so many others let's not get into that but I'm not ready to reunite just yet just wish this never happened to me and a that I at least had my mom to go though it with but It did and I don't so I just gotta be as strong as I have been and even stronger just keeping the faith and wanting to live I long fulfilling life just some of pain sorrows testimony thoughts and faith