My name is Liz, and in February 2024, I went to work like I had countless times before.

I never imagined that day would change the rest of my life.

I was injured at work after a fall in which I struck my head and landed on both hands. What began as an occupational injury eventually developed into Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), a severe and debilitating neurological pain condition.

Before this happened, I worked in the trades. I had spent years working physically demanding jobs, eventually building my own window-cleaning business. I was independent, hardworking, and proud of the life I had built.

Today, I am unable to work.

CRPS has affected multiple areas of my body and has taken away much of the independence I once had. Basic things most people never have to think about preparing food, showering, doing my hair, cleaning my home, using my hands, sleeping comfortably, and simply getting through a normal day can now be extraordinarily difficult.

But the injury itself is only part of this story.

What followed was a workers’ compensation process that I believe repeatedly failed to protect me when I was at my most vulnerable.

There were delays, conflicting information, battles over medical evidence and benefits, and periods where I felt I had to continually prove the seriousness of an injury that had already devastated my life.

Instead of being able to focus entirely on treatment and adapting to disability, I have spent an enormous amount of time fighting administrative battles, documenting what happened, seeking answers, challenging decisions, and trying to make sure my medical reality was accurately reflected.

There are medical records, correspondence, assessments and other documentation behind this story. I have also pursued formal avenues of accountability regarding what happened.

I am sharing my story publicly because workplace injuries do not end when the ambulance leaves or the paperwork is filed.

Sometimes the injury is only the beginning.

I have lost my career, my business as I knew it, much of my physical independence, and the future I expected to have. I am now trying to rebuild a life around a permanent disability while continuing to advocate for myself within a system that can be incredibly difficult for an injured worker to navigate.

I am asking for help with the financial consequences of that reality.

Donations will help me manage the costs and pressures that come with living with a severe disability, accessing the support I need, and continuing to pursue accountability for what happened after my workplace injury.

If you cannot donate, sharing this campaign means just as much.

I spent my life working.

I never expected to be the person asking strangers for help.

But one day at work changed everything.

I cannot change what happened to me. What I can do is keep fighting for a life after it and keep speaking about what can happen when an injured worker falls through the cracks.

Thank you for reading my story, sharing it, or helping in any way you can.

Liz