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 On August 21, my life changed in a matter of seconds.
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 I was driving in Virginia during extremely heavy rain when my car hydroplaned. I suddenly lost control, left the roadway and went into the median. The car rolled multiple times with me inside before finally coming to rest upside down on the other side of the highway.
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 By the grace of God, no other vehicles were struck.
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 When everything finally stopped, I was still inside the overturned car. Someone came to my aid and helped open the door so that I could get out. I was able to walk away, although not easily, and was taken to the emergency room, where I spent much of the day undergoing scans and being evaluated.
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 When I look at the photographs of what remains of my car, I cannot reflect upon what happened without acknowledging the hand of God.
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 I truly believe that God's grace was present in that car with me and that His angels were watching over and protecting me through every terrifying moment of that accident. A vehicle can be replaced. A life cannot.
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 I am extraordinarily grateful to still be here.
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 Thankfully, the extensive scans performed at the hospital found no major injuries. I was, however, diagnosed with a lung contusion — bruising of my right lung — as a result of the trauma from the accident. I am also experiencing increasing soreness and stiffness throughout my body, which the doctors warned would likely become more noticeable in the hours following the crash.
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 Physically, I am moving slowly and beginning the process of recovering. Emotionally, I am still trying to process what happened. At times, the accident plays over again in my mind, and I find myself thinking about all the ways it could have ended differently.
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 But each time I do, I come back to the same thing:
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 God was merciful to me.
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 My car did not survive the accident and has officially been declared a total loss. Unfortunately, that has created an immediate practical crisis.
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 I recently relocated to Virginia for work and am currently in temporary housing while waiting for my new place to become available. The sudden loss of my vehicle has made an already transitional period considerably more difficult.
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 Without a vehicle, getting to work, attending appointments and simply taking care of everyday necessities becomes considerably more difficult and expensive. I am now facing unexpected transportation and temporary housing expenses while also trying to find a way to secure reliable replacement transportation.
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 Asking other people for financial help is extraordinarily difficult for me.
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 Throughout my life, when circumstances have become difficult, I have generally found some way to manage, make things work and keep moving forward. I am accustomed to figuring things out for myself. Creating a fundraiser and publicly saying that I need help is not something I ever imagined myself doing.
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 But perhaps there is humility in recognizing that God sometimes answers our prayers through other people.
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 So I am allowing myself to ask.
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 If you feel led and are able to help, contributions will go toward the immediate transportation and temporary housing expenses created by the sudden loss of my car and toward helping me secure reliable replacement transportation so that I can continue working and regain some stability.
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 No contribution is too small. And if you aren't in a position to give, I would be equally grateful for your prayers and for sharing this fundraiser with others.
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 I don't yet know exactly how all of this will work out. There are still many practical and financial uncertainties ahead of me. But despite the fear, soreness and uncertainty, gratitude outweighs everything else.
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 I am alive.
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 I believe there were angels with me on that highway. I believe God's grace carried me through something that could very easily have ended differently. And I trust that the same God who brought me safely through that accident will help me find my way through what comes next.
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 Thank you for your prayers, kindness, generosity and support.
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 Deo gratias — thanks be to God.
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By the Grace of God, I Am Still Here

<div>Tom has been a hard worker for his entire adult life, working in construction and restoration to help countless families in our area after they've faced disasters. Now, after bursting two discs in his lower back, Tom is facing a major surgery and a long road to recovery. His injury has left him unable to work, and as the primary source of income for our family, this has put us in a very difficult position. 
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<div> We've already gone two months without a paycheck. Our savings are gone, we're deferring our mortgage payments, relying on the food bank, and have cut all unnecessary purchases and payments just to get by. Tom's surgery is scheduled for June 17, 2026, but after that, he'll need at least eight more weeks to recover before he can return to work. We need help desperately to pay his insurance premium (so they can cover part of the surgery), the cost of the surgery itself, and to cover our basic living expenses during his recovery. 
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<div> If you know Tom, you know how much he has given to others in their times of need. Now, we're asking for help in ours. Any support you can give—no matter how small—will make a huge difference for our family as we navigate this challenging time. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity.
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Help Tom Recover After Back Surgery

<div>*ONE YEAR POST-SURGERY UPDATE*
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<div>(Silly hospital gown pics included..)
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<div>Hi All - Kristin here. It's crazy but I just hit the one year post-nerve surgery mark. Dr. Ducic found quite a bit of complication inside my right frontal lobe when he went in to perform the procedure with the final diagnosis being Trigeminal Nerve Disorder. He had to cut bone, unwrap and remove spiraling fiberous tissue, fat graft to pad and protect, and perform other techniques in order to fix the massive compression of my three main nerves. I had hoped that the healing journey I have been through over the past 12 months would leave me 100% pain free. Unfortunately, I am one of the very few people in thousands of similar surgeries that was not that lucky. However, the surgery has allowed me to continue living, enjoying the good moments and pushing through the bad.
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<div>The economy and life, in general, has been so tough. For EVERYONE. There was a chance that I would have a 2nd nerve excision surgery but that does not seem to be an option right now. I still deal with frequent discomfort and pain, and continue to push through the exhaustion of daily life to advocate for my health. My Mayo Clinic neurologist retired and they discharged all of his patients. I am still fighting to find a neurologist that understands the surgery I had and how to continue my care. I currently see a pain management doctor to fill scripts and allow me to keep working full-time. I see a therapist and psychiatrist to deal with the mental struggles of my situation. It's exhausting and disheartening that through all this, I still owe about $10K on the CareCredit card that allowed me to have the original surgery.
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<div>Honestly, I have never been one to ask for help. Especially for money. I still have half of the first surgery to pay off, along with doctor's co-pays, prescriptions, travel to the farther away docs, therapy and psychiatry bills, and who knows what else. I just hand them my card at this point thinking "help me". Those friends and acquaintances that have donated have allowed me to help pay off the first half of my surgery and that has touched my heart to the very core. I don't know how I would've done it with you wonderful, amazing people. I am putting this out there again even though I know everyone is struggling. I don't want anyone to feel guilty if they cannot contribute or only can give $10. $10 is $10 and I could never fully thank you all for giving a damn about me. I appreciate you taking the time to read this update and I am wishing the best for everyone going through these tough times.
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<div>Kristin &lt;3
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Life Changing Nerve Surgery - One Year Update

<p>My father, Stephen Combs (AKA The Legend) was recently diagnosed with Bulbar onset Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, which is a type of ALS that affects the motor neurons in the brainstem's bulbar region and controls the muscles in the face and neck. He's been showing physical symptoms since January of this year and it's been progressing fairly quickly. The average survival expectancy for bulbar onset ALS is 2 years, compared with 3 to 5 years for limb onset ALS. There is no cure for ALS, just some trials to attempt to slow the progression of this nasty disease. The one place that my father has always wanted to go to was Glasgow, Scotland. My father hasn't been able to do majority of the traveling that he would've liked to. Most of the traveling plans that he did have were going to be when he retired. Unfortunately by that time he won't be able to. I believe he'll of lost the physical ability to. I am trying to my hardest and doing everything in my ability to make this current dream a reality for him. Anyone who knows my father, knows how hard he works and that he would give you the shirt off of his back if he could. He's not one to ask for help and neither am I. But this is something beyond me and my capabilities. I'm hoping to surprise him for Christmas with a booked flight and trip for the spring of next year (probably April). I know it's the holidays and I know it's short notice. But if you have the ability to help that's great, however please don't feel obligated. I'm going to make sure this happen one way or another and any little bit helps. Thank you and love you all. 
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Kristin Fedoronko