Support Retta, Nasha, and Andre’s Mom After Leg Amputation

Hey everyone, most know me as the life of the party, a burst of energy, and a great friend. For the past 2 years, I have been living in a nightmare. Many may know that my mom is my biggest supporter and my biggest help. My mom started out having unbearable leg pains in Feb of 2023, and we never knew why. We would rush her to emergency rooms, and they wouldn’t find anything and send her back home. This went on for about a year. February of last year, we finally found out she has an artery disease which causes major blockage in her blood, on top of being diagnosed with Lupus back in 2011. So she gets put on so many different treatments to see which one will work. Nothing worked. By April, she was set up to have her right leg amputated. The surgery was a success, but depression kicked in, and my siblings and I couldn’t help. We are goofy, so laughter was how we dealt with her emotions. She was on FMLA for as long as she could be from her job, getting $300 a week, trying to manage all of her bills from hospital bills to home bills. I have been helping keep everything intact for a whole year. She applied for disability and is still waiting for approval. As of December of last year, she was cut off from the FMLA because the time exhausted. As of February of this year, she was kicked off her medical insurance. All her medical and housing expenses have been handled by me, with some help here and there from people. I have a lot of pride when it comes to asking for help, but my life took its own drastic turn, and I had things I had to do for me and my child. So like anyone else, you push through it. Between hospital bills above my head, my own life bills, and her housing bills, it’s been a journey. I was diagnosed with depression and was put on meds to help, but nothing helps when you have to still fight these battles daily with no help. Many may say Retta travels and is out having fun. Yes, you are 100% correct. I still have a 6-year-old who looks at me as her superhero. She enjoys life next to me and is her grandmother's biggest helper. I tend to need a break, so I will travel with friends to ease my own happiness. I still make sure my daughter enjoys her life. But these last few months have been a complete nightmare. I started working 2 jobs last year to keep everything intact, but after my mom’s surgery, she had a million doctor’s appointments, so I was forced to quit my part-time job. On top of that, I had to miss a lot of workdays at my full-time job due to appointments or her pain and having no one to give her meds (shots & pills). So those days were unpaid. This year, her doctor’s appointments have slowed down some, but now she is currently facing another challenge with her left leg. She has hospital bills ranging from $5,000 to $30,000. I went back to my part-time job to try and push through. I barely see my child for more than an hour or 2 a day because I’m working, working, working. So I’m asleep when I finally do come home. My siblings stay out of town, so it falls on me and my 21-year-old niece to make sure she is okay. We finally met a lady who helped my mom get on this medical program to help with her appointments. We ran into a problem with that. Her doctors who deal with her artery disease and surgery do not accept it. So no help with those extreme bills. I manage most of her bills and my own bills. It has gotten extremely stressful, exhausting, and hard for me. I don’t know what else to do. We are still waiting on disability to be approved, and it’s like every obstacle pops up to knock me down more. My daughter has things I have to deal with. I still have to live my life. So before anyone says, well, if you stop doing X, Y, Z, look at my situation. I have to do something to manage my depression for my own sanity. As of August 24, 2025, my mom is back in the hospital with another blockage and this time it’s in her stomach. Doctors are trying different things and nothing is working. But once again I’m having sleepless days and sleepless nights. Can’t afford to miss work but also can’t do overtime cause I have to be at hospitals and also figure out child care with my baby so she is not stuck in hospitals all day and night. So on this day, I’m reaching out to everyone. I’m putting my pride to the side, and I’m asking for help. Doesn’t matter how much someone can give because anything will help. Even if you don’t trust sending money I can send her bill information. Or if anybody knows of programs that help struggling disabled people I would love to have information. I want to say thank you in advance.

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