Mary Taylor Long

My name is Mary, and I am asking for help for my children and me after years of medical emergencies, trauma, and heartbreak. Before I had my second child, I was in a car accident while pregnant with my middle son. My ex-husband was driving, and I broke my neck at C2 and C3 in what is called a hangman’s fracture. That injury has caused lasting limitations in my life and has affected my ability to work, but as long as my kids are taken care of, I am going to keep fighting through everything I deal with. Four years ago, my youngest son, who is now 15, is autistic and nonverbal, and he went into stage 5 kidney failure. We had to move from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, back to Birmingham, Alabama, so he could receive dialysis and treatment. By God’s grace, he received his kidney transplant on May 5 last year. In the middle of that battle, my oldest son was in a traumatic car accident after leaving school with friends. He was a football player and had loved the game since he was five, but the accident changed his life forever. He lost his arm and shoulder and went through a long hospital stay and multiple amputations. He can no longer play football, and that has been a hard loss for him, but he is now trying to pursue a new dream of going to school for music production, and I pray he is able to reach that goal. My middle son is in his senior year and is also trying to pursue college and football, and I pray he is able to be recruited and reach every goal he is working so hard toward. During all of this, both of my sons have struggled with severe depression, and so have I. Because of everything we have been through, I have not been able to work while caring for my children and managing my own health, depression, and anxiety. Right now, your support would help us catch up on past medical bills, keep us from losing our car, pay overdue utility bills, help my middle son with his senior dues and football fees, and provide services for my youngest son, including the extensive ABA support he needs after so much trauma. Please help my family if you are able. Every donation, prayer, and share means so much to us as we try to recover, stay stable, and give my sons the opportunities they deserve.