Hi, my name is Ricky, I am 58 I’m raising funds to help my family finally pay off our home here in Lake City, Florida. We are a household of four, including my wife age 65— who became disabled in 2022 — and our two adult disabled children (Duchenne Muscular dystrophy) aged 36 and 28 who depend on us every day. Our home is the foundation of their stability, safety, and care, and keeping it secure means everything to us.

Before COVID, I worked 12 years in security at a state correctional facility. When the pandemic hit, the prison experienced a severe outbreak. Every day, new cases were announced inside the facility. My son already had compromised breathing and was on a ventilator full‑time. Walking in and out of a prison with active COVID cases and then returning home to a medically fragile child was a risk I could not take. I made the difficult decision to leave that job to protect my son’s life. It was one of the hardest choices I’ve ever had to make, but it was the only safe one.

For the past 15 years, I’ve also served as a pastor of a small local church, pouring into our community, supporting families, and helping people through some of their hardest moments. Ministry is my calling, and I’ve dedicated my life to serving others.

Alongside pastoring, I work overnight shifts Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 11 PM to 7:30 AM at a center for individuals with intellectual disabilities. During the daytime Monday through Friday, I work as an independent health‑insurance agent, helping families across Florida and Georgia find affordable coverage.

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, I usually sleep on a fold‑out bed in my young adult children’s room because they need constant monitoring. If a ventilator hose comes loose or a medical alarm sounds, I must respond immediately. Most weeks, I only get one night in my own bed — the rest of my sleep happens in their room or between shifts.

Because of our children’s medical needs, our home requires multiple pieces of electric‑powered medical equipment, including a ventilator and other essential devices. Even with budget billing, our monthly light bill ranges from $680 to over $700 every month. These costs are unavoidable — the equipment must run continuously — and they place a significant financial burden on our household.

We’ve worked hard, cut costs, and stayed faithful, but we’ve reached a point where we need help to finally close this chapter and move forward with stability.

Paying off our home would:

1. Give our disabled children long‑term security
2. Reduce monthly financial strain
3. Offset the burden of our $610–$700+ medical‑equipment electricity bill
4. Support my wife’s disability needs since 2022
5. Allow me to rest more than one night a week
6. Support my ability to continue pastoring and caregiving
7. Strengthen our ability to serve our community
8. Bring peace and stability to our household

We are asking for support from anyone who feels led to help us reach this goal. Every donation — no matter the size — brings us one step closer to securing our home and giving our family the stability we’ve been working toward for years.

If you can’t give, please consider sharing this fundraiser. Your prayers, encouragement, and support mean more than you know.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for standing with us.

With gratitude,

Ricky & Family