KEN TERPENNING

My name is Ken. I am a 53-year-old who has basically been a lifelong caregiver following my father's passing when I was just 6, to my brother, 68, who has a plethora of health issues (for the past 42 years) that include sarcoidosis of the lungs, multiple heart issues, spinal breakdown due to decades of prednisone to treat his sarcoid, and now a severe foot infection. He has had multiple lung surgeries, including a lobectomy where they removed half of his left lung. He has had multiple heart surgeries, including caths, Watchman install, and others. He has had 3 spinal surgeries in 2025 to try and repair the damage. And he is currently in the hospital from the foot infection (sepsis). I am also caring for my 91-year-old mother who is presently in hospice care at home. Mom fractured her tibia on Thanksgiving and is no longer mobile and has multiple leg wounds from surgical incisions that are not healing well. I, myself, was a former bank employee of 15 years who went through 5 bank robberies, was pistol-whipped twice, had a brain aneurysm, been shot by a ricocheting bullet, and I now have several health issues I won't bother to get into, but they limit what I am able to do. I have always worked hard in life, including getting a master's degree in computer information systems, and I was even an adjunct professor for a few years. Oh, and we have 2 adopted dogs named Maggie and Oreo, and it has even gotten to the point that caring for them has added a burden not previously there, and said burden has overtaken the love they bring to the family with the costs of dog food, veterinary care, grooming, etc., going up. I am here doing what I hate doing and that is asking for help. Because I have to be home for Mom nearly all day, every day, that is keeping me from being able to work my part-time job as a DoorDasher, and my disability alone is not enough to cover all of my bills coming in. I had other part-time jobs as well, and my family obligations or health issues always intervene and take away any chance I have to do better or just stay afloat. And let's not talk about having any time for me. We get great help from hospice for Mom each week, which has been a godsend, but it isn't 24/7. I cannot afford a full-time nurse or aide. We have tapped or inquired to just about every resource available in our county and state, but it either isn't enough or they can't help because we don't qualify for one reason or another. So I am here now, asking for any help anyone can offer. I am at a breaking point. Overstressed, overwhelmed, with no breaks in sight. I cannot even get to see my therapist regularly. Any donations will go towards overall help with those things just mentioned, in addition to bills, added expenses for caregiving not covered by the resources we have, and hopefully be able to hire a nurse to at least come in on days and times when our others can't so I can have time to work a job and maybe even gain a part of my social life back recently lost with the hospitalization of my brother. But more importantly, it would be great to have a rainy day fund for unexpected things or for anything reasonable to give joy to my family. Because I don't normally ask for help, I really don't know how to put the needs into words, so forgive me if I am coming across a certain way not intended. Thank you for reading about this campaign and for anything you can provide, even if they are just thoughts and prayers. God bless!