Hello everyone,

My name is Pete, and I never imagined I’d be writing something like this in my forties. I’m a proud husband and father of three incredible boys — ages 15, 9, and our little one who just turned 2. My family is my World and the reason I get up every morning. Like any dedicated family man, I work hard to provide the best life I can for them.

I’m a small business owner in Southwest Florida. Over the past year, my industry has changed dramatically, and the loss of government subsidies has been very difficult. It's forced me to completely revamp my business, in effect causing a major financial setback, since I am the sole provider for my family. Regardless, I was ready to fight through it, then something happened that changed everything.

A week before my 47th birthday, I decided to take my blood pressure at one of those grocery store machines. That small, random act ended up saving my life. The reading was dangerously high, which led me to the ER for a full series of tests and scans. The results were shocking: doctors found an aneurysm in my heart. They told me that if it hadn’t been caught I likely would have died suddenly, without warning, sometime in the next two years.

Now, I’m facing open-heart surgery to repair it. The recovery will be long and difficult — up to two months. During that time, I won’t be able to work like I do. The portion of the medical bills that insurance won’t cover is expected to reach well into the five figures, all while we're struggling to pay our regular living expenses.

The weight of this situation is going to fall entirely on my wife. Not only will she be my nurse and caretaker as I recover, but she’ll also have to handle three young and energetic boys on her own. Our closest family—our parents— are in New Jersey, while we’re here in Southwest Florida. Any support they're able to offer us would only be for two weeks. Unfortunately, we have no other help, resources, or community to rely on.

The funds from this campaign will go directly toward three essential things:

Rent and car payments, so we can keep a roof over our heads and stay mobile;

Food, to keep our boys fed and cared for;

And medical bills, to cover what insurance won’t.

I’m not a man who finds it easy to ask for help — I’ve always believed in working hard and taking care of my family on my own. However, right now I simply can’t do this alone. I also can't bear to have my wife and children suffer because of my health issue.

Please, if you can help in any way — through a donation or sharing this page, it will fill us with gratitude and hope. Every bit of support we receive will let us know we're not alone, and there is still kindness in the world.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading, for caring, and for helping my family through this unimaginable time. We love and appreciate every one of you, whether you can give or simply share our story.

PV