Help Duane Heal for Good

Hi there. Thank you for taking a moment to read this plea for assistance. My name is Duane Gildea. I live in Wellorn Florida. I am a fearless advocate for the voiceless and disadvantaged. An igniter of movements, passion, and change. I'm driven to connect resources to needs, to systematically improve processes and outcomes, and to meet every being I encounter right where they are, leaving them with a laugh or smile or hope or purpose or direction. As Pema Chödrön advises, I go to the places that scare me. I lead the life of a warrior. One-on-one, in small groups or in auditoriums, my goal is to raise consciousness and inspire compassionate giving.

In September 2022 my second fight with Covid-19 lead to my termination from my full-time and cherished job as if forklift operator at a chicken processing plant due to the punishing and regressive point systems that most such plants follow. I immediately scored two full-time remote temporary jobs assisting with elections in seven states And began interviewing for permanent full-time jobs including one right at the beginning of November before my temp jobs ended that I knew at the interview was designed for me. I've never interviewed with more confidence. I did not have any other promising leads. I spent December preparing to be homeless and living in my car before they called at the end of the month and offered me the position I knew in my heart was mine months prior. My start date was January 18th and I could hardly wait.

On January 3rd, 2023, I was viciously mauled by a dog in my yard while my roommate, friends, and neighbors desperately attempted for several minutes to drag and beat the dog off of me. Despite courageous and all-out defense against the animal, its attack was not deterred. The dog consumed two giant portions of my right arm before my friends were finally able to aggressively fight it off of me. Had I been alone I know I would've been eaten alive. I was taken immediately by ambulance to the closest trauma center equipped to manage the severity of my injuries. The wounds were extensive to the point that I still must wear a wound vac for six to nine months to keep the bite sites clean and free from infection. An 11-day stay in a hospital at a second location included eight surgeries under anesthesia. At that time, I received better medical care than I knew existed from staff who I was certain were doing exactly what God put them on Earth to do; the medical and housekeeping staff were so consistent and compassionate that my faith was strengthened beyond measure. The doctors believe that over time an eventual restoration to total use of my arm is possible, although they cannot repair tendon damage to my index finger and thumb until the wounds close more. When I explained to my new employer after discharge that I would need to adjust my schedule to travel for dressing changes for the vac twice a week for a while, the offer of employment was withdrawn on the day before my start date.

WARNING: The folder accessible via the link below contains graphic pictures. Pease be advised.

These pictures were taken 43 days after the dog attack on January 3rd. Before then I was unable to look at the wounds and I was only able to look that day because I learned that one of the wounds no longer showed exposed bone. I originally had no intention of sharing pictures of the wounds, however my sister saw them today, (February 18th) She is smarter than me, loves me and I trust her implicitly. She said I had to share them so that folks understood the severity. 

The day of the attack representatives from the sheriff's office told the folks who finally got the dog off me that at the high had been alone I likely would have been eaten alive.. Again please be advised. 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kBEucUoo4nQJVEQfNtU8HrUNdHQ5dfnq

 Again, I was facing homelessness, while severely disabled and barely able to cope physically and emotionally with my dreadful and frightening injuries. My landlord was so patient and generous as I applied for assistance and received some to keep the lights on. I door-dashed and cleaned my neighbors’ houses to help keep other utilities on…my faith was strong that this was not the end of me.

My financial situation has quickly worsened, my bank accounts are negative, though I have carefully maintained honest relationships with all of my creditors who were working with me with hardship plans. I found out today that my car is now in repossession and I need to come up with money immediately to avoid losing transportation soon. Until the wound vac is off, I cannot do much of what I formerly could do unless it is fully remote and can be scheduled for several months around my twice-weekly medical appointments. I'm applying for disability and have received infinite help and support from all of my friends and family and neighbors. The stress of trying to not lose my housing or vehicle while I look for work, heal, keep my creditors updated, and keep my faith strong has been the hardest thing I've ever had to do and taught me that I am infinitely stronger than I ever imagined. Composing this request for help has humbled me and is the only way I can think of to help build a bridge between my situation right now and the very real prospect of being forced to accept my potential disability. Successfully landing a job remotely or one that doesn't risk exposing me to infection would be ideal; I have applied for hundreds of such positions to no avail. In the meantime, two separate 11-centimeter long, 1 ½-centimeter deep, and 6-centimeter wide wounds exposing bone on my arm continue to slowly heal. I am plagued with intrusive memories and nightmares, the trauma of this attack is not even close to being over. My anxiety and depression sometimes overwhelm me, and it takes such strength to keep trying to move in a forward direction.

So now, I swallow my pride and ask for help and support. The money from this fundraiser would be used to keep the hardship assistance plans going to all my creditors, keep my vehicle and my insurance and therefore my driver's license in Florida, and catch me up in rent previously owed to my landlord, as well as keep the utilities on and give me a two-month rent cushion while trying to find employment, or be approved for disability, which is something I need should I be faced with a healing process that is painful and extended.

Thank you for reading this, and for any help you can offer.