I am reaching out today a broken man. As a first responder it is incredibly difficult to be reaching out and asking for help. The last 4 years of life have been on a slip and slide heading down so fast it feels like I’m falling from space. Between 2020-2022 I became ill after working through the pandemic which Things started to deteriorate after with a head injury and muscle tear while at work. Working as a paramedic for 23 years has brought about many challenges including having been attacked by 8 patients in 6 months all of which were under the influence. It is disheartening when the assaulter can’t be charged because they don’t believe they’ll get a conviction on someone too out of it to recall what they did. The result of being off and not receiving full wages (thanks to the workplace insurance company) I’ve burned through all my savings and am now very close to being out of money. At the pace I’m on I will be out mid July.

It wouldn't be so bad but I’m a single parent of a teenage boy who has many needs paid for. He’s a great kid who has been very helpful when I’ve been sick so he’s had to grow up a little sooner than I was hoping in some ways.

Due to short term memory loss and little use of my left arm I have not been able to return to work.

During the last couple years I suffered a serious heart attack, one that is commonly referred to as a Widowmaker. I also fell down a flight of stairs landing on a carving knife that went through me. I had spinal reconstruction following a car accident and 6 months later a screw fell out of the plate in my back leaving barely able to walk.

The hardest part of everything was finding the motivation to keep getting back up. Every time I prayed for some good fortune to any degree but every time I got back up, something happened to knock me back down.

I’m just asking for enough to cover accrued debt and hopefully enough to be able to rent an apartment for my son and I. Any help is ultimately appreciated and won’t be forgotten. Work has been little to no help. The insurance company of course was no help.

I’ve been self reliant since I was 18 so this is beyond embarrassing and I am profoundly ashamed to be here asking for help. I’m supposed to be the person who helps.

thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

When I pray I only ever ask for a little less physical pain as nothing is much worse than chronic pain. I try and tell myself that while things not seem to get better at least they aren’t worse. I am well aware that as bad as things are they could always be worse. I’ve sold most of my personal belongings and am really trying to get as much as I can to be able to help my son after my time has expired. Any help is appreciated