Need help through trying times

We've always tried to help. It's wasn't often that we didn't give a little to a charity that caught our attention. Now, for the first time in my life I find myself on the opposite end of need.

My name is Rick.  My friends and family call me Pike. I spent most of my life taking care of my family. But a year and a half ago I was diagnosed with Bilateral Carpel Tunnel. It wasn't life threatening but made it impossible to work. Over that time I received one surgery on my right hand. The pain and weakness afterwards made simple things in life unbearable. Even after a year I still haven't gotten full use of that hand and have permanent nerve damage. It makes performing simple, everyday tasks a challenge. Simple things like opening a jar of peanut butter to make lunch for my kids hurts on a good day.

I've tried several routes. I've been on unemployment but since I can't use my hand properly they won't help any longer. I'm not "disabled" according to Social Security even though it hurts to use my hands.  Labor and Industries took my claim as an Occupational Disease but suddenly put the whole thing on indefinite hold;  my former employer is disputing that after 20+ years of maintenance work I couldn't possibly have developed Carpal Tunnel from working there. Thanks to this my wife is the only means of support and as many know it takes two incomes just to get by from week to week. What little I had coming in kept our noses a hair above the water line.

I've eaten up my savings. Drained my retirement. And am a week or two away from being completely broke. I can deal with not having the fun perks of life but I don't want my kids to feel  the burden that I'm carrying on my shoulders right now. They don't deserve that. To be able to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads means everything to me. It's all I really care about.

Any and all donations will be greatly appreciated. They will go to maintain a somewhat normal life for my family.  I will be able to pay bills, buy groceries, and breathe a little easier until I can figure out what my next move is. That's all I want. That's all I need.

To all that can help I say to you now... thank you! Anything can and will help us. This is why I'm reaching out. Hopefully those times when I was charitable built up some good karma.