**Help My Sister Michelle — Emergency Relocation and a Fresh Start**

Many of you have seen me share how excited I am about my sister Michelle moving to California. What I haven't shared is that this move has come with a great deal of conflict and difficulty.

My sister was already planning to move in with me — she was coming to help with my disability, which is episodic in nature and especially difficult in winter. But then her landlord situation turned critical, and her spine condition closely followed. What was already a meaningful move became an urgent one.

Their landlord situation turned dangerous. Not difficult — dangerous. It escalated to the point where Michelle, her 14-year-old daughter Courtney, and her fiancé Doug had to leave their home for their own safety. A tenant advocacy group provided a lawyer and emergency resources, and the situation qualified under a Domestic Violence program — that's how serious it was. Those resources covered three days in a hotel and a small POD to move their belongings. And then the resources stopped.

She has actually had the spinal condition for five years, being gaslit by doctors without even an X-ray or MRI until now — at least not until I started downloading records and advocating for all tests and labs before her move. She has been unable to work for the last year because of it. During the packing, she exacerbated the condition. The MRI confirmed signs of Cauda Equina Syndrome — a serious nerve condition at the base of her spine. She will need surgery. She is transferring state medical systems and until care is re-established here in California, the clock is ticking. This condition does not wait.

She is making this drive in serious pain. In the passenger seat. With everything she owns in a POD.

Courtney is 14. She has never known a stable, peaceful home. That's what she's coming to.

Doug takes whatever hours he can from the temp agency. He's reliable. He already has work lined up. He just needs to get here.

Being displaced, trying to move with one inconsistent income, dealing with the landlord situation, and now finding out the extent of her spine issues and the symptoms coming to a crescendo has been overwhelming, to say the least. That doesn't count the challenges of their 14-year-old daughter Courtney, who for her privacy, details will be left out of this.

It's also expensive to live on prepared foods, fast foods, and takeout. They make creative meals out of sandwich meat when things run low. They are resourceful. They are survivors.

The miracles since the reconciliation are numerous and quite amazing. From day one, everything I have been able to help them with I have already been through. God prepared me to grab my sister's hand, along with her family, and pull them forward, and better yet, walk beside them, together, as a team.

Yes, I am their executive assistant. I am handling multiple agencies, quotes, counselors, advocating on all her accounts, scheduling, etc., etc., etc., but they have to execute and navigate the drama of living in that displaced and unfortunate situation. Every player is equal. No one is more important than the other. You change anything and it all falls apart.

And no, I am not saying this as 'Wow, look at what I am doing!' Oh no, quite the opposite. This is the example of a higher power, God, and even better AA at work.

It's phenomenal how precisely this reunion was crafted by God. Michelle talks about it every day. I don't think she realizes I actually need her more than she needs me. And I need Doug and Courtney as well.

My sister actually isn't a drug addict or alcoholic and neither is Doug. They're just two good people that have been swimming upstream and then a storm came along. Almost all of the donations have been from my sober family. That is not to diminish the others. It is to show her what she is walking into, what THEY are walking into, if they choose.

My sister is also a survivor of the extreme variety. If you have experience with that, carry a message of hope to her.

She will need new friends. She will absolutely fit in if you invite her, and please do. If you have a women's thing or a mom-daughter thing, reach out. She's looking for a new life. She's a hoot. Brash, but a hoot.

So where's the money going? Glad you didn't ask.

You are helping a family get ahead. You are paying for their essentials to live and get established here. Your donations are going toward travel costs for the drive from Oregon to California, daily living expenses while they get on their feet, re-establishing basics like household needs, clothing for Courtney, and vehicle registration, bridging the gap until Doug's first paycheck, and setting up continuity of care for Michelle's surgery.

Courtney doesn't have many clothes, enjoys crafts, and will be getting back into school and catching up. We will be grabbing some stuff off Facebook Marketplace and other necessities as they rebuild. Doug needs some support as well. He has some jobs lined up already, a sister who lives nearby, and a mutual childhood friend. He's very reliable if anyone is hiring and has common sense. And of course, you know how it is — pay will be delayed until he's worked for a little bit. There are other things we're doing to establish stability and it will all work out.

I am calling especially on our people — childhood friends, family, the Manor and San Lorenzo crew, and my sober family, who has already shown up so beautifully — to please share this and give what you can.

Please help my sister, who I love so dearly, and her beautiful family. Every dollar matters. Every share matters. Thank you.