Help Bella heal from spinal surgery
Donation protected
Update to original fundraiser...
Nearly every bit of work Rusty was scheduled for was cancelled over the last 3 weeks. I can't pay bills if he has no work. We are now behind on our rent again..
We planned on using our tax refund to pay all of our bills this month, only to find out that the department of edu is seizing the entire amount of our refund this year for a $2500 loan Rusty defaulted on prior to our marriage that has now ballooned to over $30,000 .. I filed our taxes with an injured spouse allocation so we could get some of the $5100 we were owed but the IRS is not allowing it.
So everything I had planned to work with to support us has disappeared.
I'm still hitting walls finding work myself. And the older I get the harder it becomes.
I'm coming to you for help again because we have no choice .. I have to keep Belle in a home, she is not through the healing process yet.. she still isn't back in school full time..
Belle's surgery was in June .. as you see from the X-ray, it was extensive .. they say it could take up to a year before she's fully through it .. she needs the stability of a home to complete her healing .. and right now I need your help to do that. I'm asking that if you can give, please give what you can to help pull us through this... Thank you
Start of previous fundraising statement:
In the last few months we learned that Bella needs to have surgery because of the severity of her scoliosis. Her spine is twisting at a 70 degree curve. It is very hard on her, and she's a trooper, the surgery was done on June 13th. She is now recovering.
Belle's father Rusty has been struggling with becoming insulin dependent coming out of his emergency appendectomy last October, and he's lost a lot of work due to several recent hospitalizations. The loss of his income has put our home at risk. I really want to keep her in a safe place here at home to recuperate ...and I need your help to do that ..
This fundraiser has helped to support our family through quite a few rough months.. I started it after my husband Rusty's appendix ruptured in October. Since then, we have stuggling to get back on our feet. When I did our taxes, I was fully aware of how much we lost when Rusty got sick, and why it's been so hard to get us caught back up. It worked out to around $10,000. When your base income is around $30K annually, it's a hard hit to recover from.
Our landlord just sent me a letter stating he could no longer work with us, and honestly I understand... we have been at least a partial month behind on our rent every month since November. He is demanding we get caught up now or move. We've been paying him everything we can, but I've not fully been able to catch our rent up. We usually have enough for our bills for one month with just our income, the being behind has made it very hard to get current, because there has been no extra anything.
Bella needs a home to recover in. I cannot find anything more affordable to fit our family's needs, I downsized us into this house, last year.
We can't lose this home.
Right now we are doing a push to raise;
$1200 for June Rent
$1200 for July Rent
$417 for powerbill (partial may & June bills) we have a 48hr notice now
$120 for water bill, also on cut off status
$87 for internet service so I can work
$150 for groceries, we are out of everything
Our immediate need is:
$3174.00
During the process of these challenges we lost our car.. and that is a real problem.
We also need to raise money to get us a car because she can't walk to the bus to go to appointments, and getting a car in nevada comes with it's own set of challenges. We have to license and insure it, for more than one month.. the fines for losing insurance here are hardcore, that's why we lost our car, we could not keep it insured and our registration was suspended, to get it back on that car with the fines it by itself was close to $2000, and not reasonable. Starting with a new (used) car will make some of that go away.
I'd like to set that budget around $5000, Using $3-4000 toward car itself, and the remainder for licensing and insurance.
I need your help to move forward through this, I hate having to ask for help because I work very hard, both at marketing and the support I do with the causes I work for, and have lots of art I'm sitting on that could be helping me pay all of this .. and I get it, Art is something many people "feel" isn't worthy of support, because they "like to see it for free" ..
What I can say is it is hard work and it's honerable work, and it's work worthy of being paid for .. I'm setting up a patreon you can buy art from if you want to support us that way... Otherwise, thank you for your donation .. We truly value your support.
----- the start of this campaign, and why we are in this position
Hi Everyone. I'm Amy Stewart Hale. my husband is Rusty Hale, and we have a 12y old daughter at home named Bella.
On October 13th I had to rush Rusty into the hospital, he was doubled over in pain.
When we got to the hospital we found out his appendix had ruptured and needed to come out. Here is Rusty's response to the doctor's news about the work he would be missing:

Fast forward to Oct 25th, Rusty's had complications. Apparenty they missed part of the abscess with the first surgery and we've been back to the hospital twice because he has not actually been able to eat anything since the surgery. Today, October 25th, they put a drain in to take care of the abscess, which he willl need at least a week. When we started this ordeal they said he may be out of work 4 to 6 weeks. It's been almost two weeks and he's still not eating and is required to have a drain, that is adding time to the healing he needs before getting back to work.
We were counting on that work because we were already behind.. It was intended to get us fully caught up, and would have, We owe our landlord for october and November is only a few days away. Plus all of our other bills are due. Our landlord has been patient but he sent an email today letting me know he can't be patient much longer. Rusty needs our home to heal. Bella our 12y old daughter needs our home. We are in real danger of losing our home.
I'm coming to you because I need some help.
I need to raise at least 3 months rent @
$1150 per month --> $3450
Our power bills are averaging $250/mo--> $750
Water/Sewage is averaging $125/mo--> $450
Trash is $50/mo $150
We took out a loan on our car and we are
behind there too, to get caught up and through
healing we need at least $1500 for that $1500
Registration and insurance are both due $1500
The bills are starting to come in from the
hospital, I can only imagine how much this
is. We need a little help there. $2000
The last $1700 is for food/misc $1700
__________________________________________________________
Total $10,000
As always, I do have art for sale and can take commissions. If you are interested in helping that way, please contact me and we will make that happen. If you only want to help by donating we really appreciate your support.
Nearly every bit of work Rusty was scheduled for was cancelled over the last 3 weeks. I can't pay bills if he has no work. We are now behind on our rent again..
We planned on using our tax refund to pay all of our bills this month, only to find out that the department of edu is seizing the entire amount of our refund this year for a $2500 loan Rusty defaulted on prior to our marriage that has now ballooned to over $30,000 .. I filed our taxes with an injured spouse allocation so we could get some of the $5100 we were owed but the IRS is not allowing it.
So everything I had planned to work with to support us has disappeared.
I'm still hitting walls finding work myself. And the older I get the harder it becomes.
I'm coming to you for help again because we have no choice .. I have to keep Belle in a home, she is not through the healing process yet.. she still isn't back in school full time..
Belle's surgery was in June .. as you see from the X-ray, it was extensive .. they say it could take up to a year before she's fully through it .. she needs the stability of a home to complete her healing .. and right now I need your help to do that. I'm asking that if you can give, please give what you can to help pull us through this... Thank you
Start of previous fundraising statement:
In the last few months we learned that Bella needs to have surgery because of the severity of her scoliosis. Her spine is twisting at a 70 degree curve. It is very hard on her, and she's a trooper, the surgery was done on June 13th. She is now recovering.
Belle's father Rusty has been struggling with becoming insulin dependent coming out of his emergency appendectomy last October, and he's lost a lot of work due to several recent hospitalizations. The loss of his income has put our home at risk. I really want to keep her in a safe place here at home to recuperate ...and I need your help to do that ..
This fundraiser has helped to support our family through quite a few rough months.. I started it after my husband Rusty's appendix ruptured in October. Since then, we have stuggling to get back on our feet. When I did our taxes, I was fully aware of how much we lost when Rusty got sick, and why it's been so hard to get us caught back up. It worked out to around $10,000. When your base income is around $30K annually, it's a hard hit to recover from.
Our landlord just sent me a letter stating he could no longer work with us, and honestly I understand... we have been at least a partial month behind on our rent every month since November. He is demanding we get caught up now or move. We've been paying him everything we can, but I've not fully been able to catch our rent up. We usually have enough for our bills for one month with just our income, the being behind has made it very hard to get current, because there has been no extra anything.
Bella needs a home to recover in. I cannot find anything more affordable to fit our family's needs, I downsized us into this house, last year.
We can't lose this home.
Right now we are doing a push to raise;
$1200 for June Rent
$1200 for July Rent
$417 for powerbill (partial may & June bills) we have a 48hr notice now
$120 for water bill, also on cut off status
$87 for internet service so I can work
$150 for groceries, we are out of everything
Our immediate need is:
$3174.00
During the process of these challenges we lost our car.. and that is a real problem.
We also need to raise money to get us a car because she can't walk to the bus to go to appointments, and getting a car in nevada comes with it's own set of challenges. We have to license and insure it, for more than one month.. the fines for losing insurance here are hardcore, that's why we lost our car, we could not keep it insured and our registration was suspended, to get it back on that car with the fines it by itself was close to $2000, and not reasonable. Starting with a new (used) car will make some of that go away.
I'd like to set that budget around $5000, Using $3-4000 toward car itself, and the remainder for licensing and insurance.
I need your help to move forward through this, I hate having to ask for help because I work very hard, both at marketing and the support I do with the causes I work for, and have lots of art I'm sitting on that could be helping me pay all of this .. and I get it, Art is something many people "feel" isn't worthy of support, because they "like to see it for free" ..
What I can say is it is hard work and it's honerable work, and it's work worthy of being paid for .. I'm setting up a patreon you can buy art from if you want to support us that way... Otherwise, thank you for your donation .. We truly value your support.
----- the start of this campaign, and why we are in this position
Hi Everyone. I'm Amy Stewart Hale. my husband is Rusty Hale, and we have a 12y old daughter at home named Bella.
On October 13th I had to rush Rusty into the hospital, he was doubled over in pain.
When we got to the hospital we found out his appendix had ruptured and needed to come out. Here is Rusty's response to the doctor's news about the work he would be missing:
Fast forward to Oct 25th, Rusty's had complications. Apparenty they missed part of the abscess with the first surgery and we've been back to the hospital twice because he has not actually been able to eat anything since the surgery. Today, October 25th, they put a drain in to take care of the abscess, which he willl need at least a week. When we started this ordeal they said he may be out of work 4 to 6 weeks. It's been almost two weeks and he's still not eating and is required to have a drain, that is adding time to the healing he needs before getting back to work.
We were counting on that work because we were already behind.. It was intended to get us fully caught up, and would have, We owe our landlord for october and November is only a few days away. Plus all of our other bills are due. Our landlord has been patient but he sent an email today letting me know he can't be patient much longer. Rusty needs our home to heal. Bella our 12y old daughter needs our home. We are in real danger of losing our home.
I'm coming to you because I need some help.
I need to raise at least 3 months rent @
$1150 per month --> $3450
Our power bills are averaging $250/mo--> $750
Water/Sewage is averaging $125/mo--> $450
Trash is $50/mo $150
We took out a loan on our car and we are
behind there too, to get caught up and through
healing we need at least $1500 for that $1500
Registration and insurance are both due $1500
The bills are starting to come in from the
hospital, I can only imagine how much this
is. We need a little help there. $2000
The last $1700 is for food/misc $1700
__________________________________________________________
Total $10,000
As always, I do have art for sale and can take commissions. If you are interested in helping that way, please contact me and we will make that happen. If you only want to help by donating we really appreciate your support.
Organizer
Amy Stewart Hale
Organizer
Las Vegas, NV