Hi, my name is Michael Dodd (aka MJ Smuv), and I’m reaching out with a humble heart during one of the toughest times of my life.

Over the last two years, I’ve done everything I could to build a better life for myself and my fiancée, Melissa. Things were finally looking up after moving out of my parents’ house and settling into our own apartment near my job with a decking and railing company.

But everything changed in an instant. I broke my middle finger in a workplace accident—something that happened while following routine procedures. I took responsibility and underwent surgery, expecting to return to work soon. Instead, a week and a half later, I was let go. They claimed it was due to missing a meeting that, I later learned, wasn’t properly communicated to me or my crew. It felt like a cover-up, especially after the injury.

I started DoorDashing part-time a month before I lost my job and quickly made it my full-time hustle. I pushed through the pain, trying to pay bills while job-hunting and taking care of Melissa. Things got harder when our lease ended in June. We had no choice but to move in with my parents.

That came with its own challenges. Melissa has severe allergies—seafood, shellfish, peanuts, and more—that make it nearly impossible for her to eat what others cook. She also suffers from chronic migraines and PTSD from her past.

I had about $3,000 in my 401k savings when we moved in. But after car troubles (my only means of income through DoorDash), feeding ourselves, and trying to keep up with bills, that savings quickly dropped below $1,400. I kept pushing—still DoorDashing, applying for jobs, and even creating content on TikTok and releasing music as MJ Smuv just to keep a trickle of income coming in.

The stress reached a breaking point. On July 24th, I collapsed. My fiancée found me unresponsive for over 25 minutes. What I experienced in that moment felt like a choice between peace and the pain I’ve been living in. But I came back—because I couldn’t leave her. I made a promise that day to keep fighting, no matter how hard it gets.

And now, we’re facing another challenge. After some back and forth conversation with my family and with everything we all were dealing with as adults living with other adults, we made the decision to stay at a hotel for the time being until we're able to afford a place of our own. Thinking it would be a better decision so that there would be peace for all of us.

Melissa got a job at Macy’s, and I’m still searching daily for steady work while trying to stay afloat with DoorDash. But we need help. Anything you can contribute—no matter how small—will go toward helping us find stability, secure housing, and get back on our feet.

If you can’t donate, sharing this GoFundMe or streaming my music under the name MJ Smuv would mean the world to me. Every stream, every share, every prayer—makes a difference.

Thank you so much for reading my story. I’m doing everything I can, and your support gives me the strength to keep going.

Much love,

Michael Dodd