Her Home Rides on a Hitch — Fund the Life-Saving Repair
Donation protected
One morning in 2017, everything stopped. After decades of hustle—putting herself through college twice, working multiple jobs at a time, and teaching college writing for over 20 years—Marya Summers woke up unable to function. Fatigue. Brain fog. Pain. Words slipped. Standing and walking turned into ordeals.
Eighteen months of searching uncovered the culprit: toxic mold in her apartment. Work ended. Housing options vanished. With no better options, Marya poured her savings into a tiny 11-foot aluminum camper and a 2000 Toyota 4Runner. The truck moves her home, gets her to doctors and groceries, and—when disaster strikes—gets her out of harm’s way. She has evacuated seven times: five wildfires and two floods.
Today Marya lives on SSDI: $1,404/month plus $23 in food stamps. That covers basics and leaves little for vehicle repairs or specialty medical care for Lyme, Bartonella, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and Mold Hypersensitivity, which insurance rarely funds.
This is where you come in. A critical brake/axle repair keeps her housed, mobile, and safe—turning a parked, dangerous situation into survival on wheels. Your gift today powers the repair that moves her home and protects her life.
Why This Is Urgent
Marya’s home rides on a hitch. The truck moves her camper, gets her to groceries and medical care, and—when danger comes—gets her out alive. She has fled for her life from raging wildfires and floods. A brake or axle failure turns escape into catastrophe.
What just happened:
Aug 5, 2025 — $824.90 charged: emergency U-joint replacement to stop highway vibration (paid on credit).
See invoice below.
Aug 12, 2025 — $2,734.96 estimate: urgent rear axle + brake rebuild (seals, shoes, wheel cylinders, bearings, drums, hardware) to prevent catastrophic failure.
See Rear Brakes below.
Immediate safety target: $3,559.86 (the $2,734.96 urgent repair + $824.90 already paid).
Mechanic’s Diagnostic Findings (Plain English)
- Rear axle seal failure: gear oil has soaked the left rear brake shoes; the right side is starting to leak → braking compromised.
- Battery failed + corroded terminals: won’t hold charge → no-start risk and electrical instability.
- Brake fluid contaminated with moisture: needs full exchange → reduced braking power.
- Wrong coolant in system: requires flush → overheating risk.
- Leaking valve cover gaskets (soon): oil loss and contamination risk.
- Dark transmission fluid, no service record: needs fluid + filter → premature transmission wear.
- Worn sway bar links / cracked suspension bushings: degraded handling.
- Excess play in left inner tie rod (soon): steering precision at risk.
- U-joint with excessive movement: replaced Aug 5, 2025.
- Rack/pinion bushings cracked: adds to handling issues.
(Full inspection PDF with photos will be posted for complete transparency.)
How Your Donation Will Be Used
Immediate Safety (fund first):
- $2,734.96 — Rear axle + brake rebuild (prevents failure, restores safe stopping).
- $824.90 — Repay U-joint emergency repair (already done to keep the wheels moving).
Total Immediate: $3,559.86
Deferred—next for safety & reliability (as funds allow):
- $367.52 — Battery
- $59.94 — Battery cable/terminal service
- $186.79 — Brake-fluid exchange
- $505.38 — Coolant flush & refill
- $730.49 — Left inner tie rod (soon)
- $356.04 — Sway bar end links
- $736.89 — Front brake service
- $1,038.71 — Valve cover gaskets (soon)
- $765.20 — Transmission fluid & filter
- $89.32 — Air filter
- $136.72 — Engine oil & filter
- $44.50 — Brake light bulb
Total Deferred: $5,017.50
TOTAL NEEDED: $8,577.36
Proof of Need
Invoices, estimates, and the full photo inspection will be posted so you can see exactly what you funded and when the work gets scheduled and completed.
Full Diagnostic with Images Here: https://www.morganarae.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Diagnostic-with-images.pdf
See Rear Brakes Axel Estimate Here:
https://www.morganarae.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Estimate-Rear-BrakesAxel-Marya-Summerss-2000-Toyota-4Runner-SR5-Estimate.pdf
Rear Drive Shaft and U-Joints Invoice:
https://www.morganarae.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Invoice-Rear-Drive-Shaft-U-Joints-Marya-Summerss-2000-Toyota-4Runner-SR5.pdf
You Can Make the Difference (Do This Now)
Give what you can today—$10 moves the needle and accelerates scheduling the repair. Then share Marya’s story with one person who will care. Your action today funds life-saving repairs and keeps her safely housed on wheels. Thank you.
Organizer
Morgana Rae
Organizer
Long Beach, CA