When it rains it pours

THIS CAMPAIGN IS OVER, IT ACCOMPLISHED IT'S GOAL

I thought I had saved and planned for the crazy curve balls life can throw our way, but it was always based on my being able to return to work. Even if that took a while. I never imagined that I’d have to spend so long without any income and just my faith in the goodness of humanity to help us survive from one day to the next...

I'm a single father who has been raising two kids, mostly on my own, since 2005. Back in November of 2012, I was injured and have been disabled ever since.

Initially it was thought that my injury was just a ruptured disk, but after I was able to start walking again, I started falling. This lead to learning that I also had ligament damage in my back, hips & knees. Two years of workers compensation paid medical, then burning through a small settlement, I still didn’t having any answers as to why I wasn’t healing and yet new problems started turning up every few months.

After a number of doctors tossed around some questionable diagnoses, I switched doctors again and have finally confirmed that I have Elhers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) Hypermobility Type. It’s a genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue throughout my body. There is no cure and surgeons don’t want to touch it. The Ehlers-Danlos National Foundation

I don’t know why the debilitating pain and instability came on the way it did, but my doctors suspect it started building gradually before the injury I mentioned above and has just progressively gotten worse ever since.

Today the EDS has affected every aspect of my life. Simple things like eating & talking, walking, standing, sitting and even lying down can cause excruciating pain. And almost every major joint in my body either hyperextends, dislocates or subluxes and I’m sure you can imagine how painful that can be. I’ve also learned that I have five ruptured disks in my neck and I’ll be damned if I know how or when that happened.

After using a cane for two years, the ligaments in my left shoulder became so damaged that now I have to use a walker to get around most of the time, and basic chores such a trip to the grocery store can leave me laid up in pain for days.

After all the doctors, physical therapists, tests and diagnostics, my savings has been wiped out. It was extremely fortunate that I was approved for Florida Medicaid back in June of 2016. So medical expense are finally covered, but have no way to pay our monthly expenses while I work my way through the Social Security Disability process.

When I originally created this campaign it was with the ambitious goal of getting my life and house in order in anticipation of a social security disability hearing (SSD). I originally applied for disability in March of 2014, but it keeps getting delayed. So now we've lowered our expectations to just paying for things food stamps doesn’t cover, plus gas, auto repairs, utilities, car insurance and our phone bill.

I've never been one to ask for help and have always just dealt with whatever comes my way the best I can. So please understand, asking for help isn't something I would normally do but I've reached a point where I just have to swallow my pride and say "Uncle"!

So now I'm asking for your help.

These campaigns only work if they are shared far and wide.

And any help you can provide would be a blessing.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and God Bless!

#disabled #disability #gofundme #eds #elhersdanlossyndrome #singledad