I survived septic shock and need help.

I Survived Septic Shock. Now I’m Living in My Car.

I’m raising $10000 to secure temporary shelter, repair my car, and rebuild my life after a life-threatening illness left me disabled and homeless.

February 25, 2026, my life changed forever. I was hospitalized with pneumonia that progressed to septic shock. I was placed in a medically induced coma and put on a ventilator. My family was told I was not expected to survive. Against the odds, I began to improve. After several weeks, I was taken off the ventilator and transferred to another hospital, where I underwent another procedure on my left lung. By the end of my second month in the hospital, I was well enough to be transferred to a rehabilitation center to learn to walk again. After a month I was able to return home using a walker and told to continue physical therapy.

I came home to an eviction notice.

Even though I stayed in contact with my landlord while I was hospitalized, I didn’t know the full extent of what I had gone through because no one told me I survived sepsis. My sister knew, but I didn’t. And even so, I had no idea how much sepsis was going to impact my life moving forward. My recovery was extremely difficult and painful. I was physically weak, mentally exhausted, and not in the right frame of mind to make important decisions. I had been out of work for months and had fallen behind on my rent. My landlord refused to take my calls and sent only one text demanding the remaining rent. Before I could secure assistance, eviction proceedings had begun.

In July 2026, the sheriff came and changed the locks.

And now, I live in my car with post sepsis congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, rheumatic mitral valve disease, diabetes, asthma, muscle weakness, and peripheral neuropathy. I also struggle with the lasting effects of post-sepsis syndrome, including extreme fatigue, chronic pain, weakness, numbness, and difficulty with everyday activities. My feet are numb, they drag when I walk, and I frequently fall over my own feet. I struggle with balance and mobility and need a walker to get around. Nonetheless, I returned to work a month sooner than the doctors advised. I was struggling to regain my independence and a new home. I said I was okay. But I wasn’t. I struggle to push through the pain and fatigue.

I’m trying to work and survive without a home after sepsis. I’ve been turned down by every Social Services agency in the county because I work and make less than $2,300 a month. I’m trying to keep up my car payment and insurance, so I don’t lose that too. All my furniture and belongings are gone. I’ve been dismissed and humiliated. During an interaction with a DSS worker, I was told that my application was a “waste of her time” because I work. Those words have stayed with me.

Working doesn’t mean I’ve recovered, and it should disqualify people for help. I applied for permanent housing through a non-profit, but the wait list is long, it could be another month before I hear anything. Meanwhile, the nights grow colder, and my legs swell from the congestive heart failure. I need to fix my car, which will cost around $2,000. And buy food while living in my car. I will need to replace all my furniture, if I even make it so long to when an opening in the affordable housing units becomes available.

I’m not asking for a luxurious life. I’m just asking for help to survive the next month or so and book a hotel room while waiting for an apartment to become available. My goal is $10,000. Right off the bat, $2,000 will go towards having my car repaired. I also need to buy food and have other expenses I have while living out of my car. The rest will go towards moving expenses and replacing the furniture I lost when the landlord threw mine all out.

I would be ever so grateful if you could help. If you can’t donate, please share my GoFundMe, I will deeply appreciate anything you can do to get me off the streets and into a warm place for the coming weeks while I wait on the non-profit to have a “forever” home for me available. Thank you for reading my story.