Please help me get “back on my feet”

Buckle up, kiddos... I’m sure a lot of you know me as a take no prisoners, tell it like it is kind of person and I am that person but definitely not as much as I put out there. It’s to put up a wall to hide my insecurities from you guys. So this request is huge for me. I wish I didn’t have to do all this but maybe it’s the universe’s way of saying let down your guard. So here we are…

2020 has been a rough year for pretty much everyone. It was tough for me but I was able to pull through like so many others. 2021 though, has been absolutely devastating. A couple of months ago I had cancer removed from my eyelid. It was the slow growing, basal cell type and they got all of it (fingers crossed.) But, between the dermatologist, plastic Surgeon, doctors visits, surgery and unable to work while I healed, it was around $7,000. My mom and Zarin helped a lot. And I felt like, “ok, this is bad but I’ll make it through. The holiday season will help tremendously.” Famous last words.

A couple of weeks ago I fell down some stairs and shattered my ankle. From that moment on, all decisions were taken away from me. It’s just day after day of people telling me what “needs to be done.“ And it’s not over. Emergency room, four days in the hospital, surgery to rebuild my ankle ( I’m hoping it’ll jingle like spurs when I walk), in a cast for 2 1/2 weeks unable to walk and probably the worst of all, I won’t be able to put weight on my foot until mid December. My Xmas contract has graciously offered a place for me after I’ve healed. But the show must go on. I will be replaced and the amount of shifts I’ll be able to pick up will be a drop in the bucket to what I could’ve made this season. Voiceover is always an option and trust me I’ve tried. However, the market is flooded and picking up $100 gigs here and there don’t pay the bills.

This is where y’all come in. If you are the type of person who wants to shout from the rooftops “I love Laura Swindoll!“ I’ve set up a go fund me for donations. If you’re more the Irish goodbye type, I am attaching my Venmo and PayPal account info. All money will go to hospital bills and any amount is great.

Dammit. And now, I’m crying. See what this injury has turned me into. A human.

But I still don’t like kids. Mwah