Fundraising for a Lifeline After Engine Exploded

While returning from a doctor's appointment, my car's engine exploded on the freeway, leaving me stranded and later, devastatingly, without a vehicle. This car, borrowed from my partner's mother as our only means of transportation, was essential for daily routines – from getting a child to school, ensuring my best friend & roommate could get to her new job, to my partner’s ability to work amidst preparing her parents' house for sale.

The immediate aftermath was a blur of texts for help, a tow truck rescue, and tears not just of fear but of feeling I had let everyone down. Discovering the engine was beyond repair compounded our existing struggles with health issues and financial debt. My partner, diagnosed with POTS, is battling immense stress, and I'm navigating the incredibly long process of having filed for/waiting for disability, feeling the heavy burden of our precarious situation.

The loss of the vehicle has derailed our lives. My friend's employment, the child’s education, and my partner's ability to even to come home after work are all at risk. The stress is unbearable, especially fearing for my partner's health. I'm so afraid that all of this stress will lead to her having a heart attack because of her POTS. I feel responsible, haunted by the belief that I should be contributing more despite managing our home and supporting our family in countless ways (which they remind me of on a near daily basis).

Our Hope:

Securing a new vehicle isn't just about transportation; it's about reclaiming our ability to support each other and navigate our challenges with dignity. It's about reducing the stress that's crushing my partner and threatening her health. With a new car, I plan to find work that accommodates my disability, contributing financially to our recovery and lessening the load on my partner and our roommate in a way that goes beyond keeping the house running. I just can't find work without a car.

This fundraiser isn't just a plea for help; it's a promise of perseverance, a step toward stability, and a testament to the power of community support. All contributions will not only help us get back on the road but also pave the way for a future where we can manage our debt, address our health challenges, and support one another more fully.

Thank You:

It tears me up to need to ask for help from anyone, let alone perfect strangers, even though I'm the kind of person who would give a stranger the last penny I have. So I want you to know that every donation, no matter the size, that brings us closer to overcoming this hurdle will mean the world to me... to us... in our time of desperate need. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

P.S. I don't take many pictures and so I didn't have a recent one of myself. The picture here is my partner with our dogs. She is the most beautiful, kind person I have ever known. I don't care about myself. It's her I am doing this for, because I don't know how else to fix this for her.