Help Chronically Ill Mom and Teen Begin Again
Donation protected
Most of you know my story. For those that don’t, I am aware it sounds like a Lifetime movies, but unfortunately, it’s true. I am a mom who has suffered from chronic pain and illness (including kidney failure) for years. My husband was my caretaker. I trusted him implicitly, with every facet of my life—medically, financially, and emotionally. At the end of last year, I was forced to stay in the hospital for a month and nearly died. It was then that I was diagnosed with a terminal illness.
During my hospital stay, my husband was beside me daily, for all appearances, the devoted husband. So despite his increasingly odd and emotionally abusive behavior, I thought at least he would care for me through my final months. It was then that my world fell apart completely. I found out in February, after our car was repossessed, that not only was my husband not paying any of our bills, but he was taking all of my money from my disability check out of my checking account to put into a bitcoin account for a “Nigerian woman” (I know she’s not real. He, however, doesn’t). He had run up my credit cards and wasn’t paying on them. Leaving me with ruined credit.
I thought the world was done tossing us about, but then we had to take our dog and emotional support, Baxter, to the humane society though we could hardly afford a vet bill, but his ears were clearly causing him great pain. We discovered he also suffers from chronic pain not only from his ears but also in his hips and left leg. We started a payment plan; plus, he will need further medical care.
Now my neurodivergent 18 year-old, Noah, has taken over caring for me and helping me to continue living independently. We are trying to rebuild on our own. But we need help. I have no savings anymore, no vehicle to carry my wheelchair with numerous medical appointments and to transport Noah to part-time work, and we have moving expenses. And I have an illness that will take me from Noah. Please help us make a new life. I have no idea how much we will need, but anything will help.
During my hospital stay, my husband was beside me daily, for all appearances, the devoted husband. So despite his increasingly odd and emotionally abusive behavior, I thought at least he would care for me through my final months. It was then that my world fell apart completely. I found out in February, after our car was repossessed, that not only was my husband not paying any of our bills, but he was taking all of my money from my disability check out of my checking account to put into a bitcoin account for a “Nigerian woman” (I know she’s not real. He, however, doesn’t). He had run up my credit cards and wasn’t paying on them. Leaving me with ruined credit.
I thought the world was done tossing us about, but then we had to take our dog and emotional support, Baxter, to the humane society though we could hardly afford a vet bill, but his ears were clearly causing him great pain. We discovered he also suffers from chronic pain not only from his ears but also in his hips and left leg. We started a payment plan; plus, he will need further medical care.
Now my neurodivergent 18 year-old, Noah, has taken over caring for me and helping me to continue living independently. We are trying to rebuild on our own. But we need help. I have no savings anymore, no vehicle to carry my wheelchair with numerous medical appointments and to transport Noah to part-time work, and we have moving expenses. And I have an illness that will take me from Noah. Please help us make a new life. I have no idea how much we will need, but anything will help.
Fundraising team (3)
Krista Hoeksema
Organizer
Kalamazoo, MI
Kara Carter
Team member
Noah Hoeksema
Team member