I am writing to share a deeply challenging period I have recently navigated, which has significantly impacted both my personal life and my business.

Three years ago, my father received a diagnosis of dementia, a revelation that profoundly altered my world. He was not only my father but also my closest confidant and source of invaluable guidance. This period initiated a complex caregiving journey, compounded by previous responsibilities caring for my mother, who underwent a heart transplant around the same time.

Due to concerns regarding his well-being at home, I made the difficult decision to place my father in a recommended health facility. However, this transition regrettably led to severe issues of neglect. During his time there, he suffered significant weight loss and did not receive his prescribed medications. Despite the facility's shortcomings, I dedicated myself to ensuring his comfort and dignity, personally handling his laundry, cleaning his room, providing daily baths, and attending to all his essential needs. I also regularly transported him for his medical appointments with his primary care physician.

The situation reached a critical point on December 26th. I received an urgent call indicating my father had been found on the floor and was rushed to the emergency room. Medical examinations revealed a C4 vertebral injury, impacting his sensory and motor functions. Tragically, his already compromised health, exacerbated by severe malnutrition, left him without the strength to recover, a situation he had reportedly expressed concerns about to the nursing staff at the facility. My heart is broken as I had been actively arranging for his return home to live with me, but he passed away just seven days later while under hospice care, a total of 17 days after his hospital admission.

These profound personal circumstances, particularly the extensive caregiving responsibilities and the tragic events surrounding my father's final weeks, have placed an immense strain on my self-employed cleaning service, which I have operated for over sixteen years. My business has experienced a major financial crisis due to the substantial amount of unpaid time I had to dedicate to his care.

I am requesting assistance totaling $7,000 to help mitigate the financial losses incurred from my absence during this extraordinarily difficult period. My father was a devoted pastor, serving in Christian ministry for over 33 years, and his passing leaves an irreplaceable void.

Thank you