Help Save My MacBook & Serger

Hi guys, as you know within one week of each other both my Macbook Pro hard drive failed and then my eight year old Serger for my business broke in the middle of an order.

The Macbook : I took to my local shop and they have had it for three weeks. They tried several different recovery programs with limited to no success, only recovering files from 2012. They could only install a new hard drive to make the computer functioning, but recommended I send it to a 'data recovery specialist' which takes apart the hard drive in a clean room and tries to recover the data that way. My entire life is on that hard drive. It is ten years worth of graphic designs, illustrations, my entire portfolio since starting Pop Princess in 2011, all of my custom fabric prints, everything I did for this most recent collection, just gone. Not to mention all of my photos and memories, especially of when Kyle was still alive our memories and movies and photos together, and years worth of my novels and writing. All my Adobe Suite programs and Microsoft programs are on that too. Honestly the loss of this hard drive is devastating to me personally, professionally, and crippling to my business.

The specialist is my best chance at retrieving any of this and they are estimating a cost of $700-2700.00 dollars. (I already paid for the first shop with my credit card their attempt at recovery and new hard drive: $340.52) The clerk I spoke with told me to anticipate a mid-higher cost range because it was a mechanical failure which I guess is more difficult to recover. They will also be supplying a 1TB hard drive external to transfer what they can recover and so I can back up future data with Time Machine and other recovery software, and yes, I will also start saving to purchase a Cloud back up software too.

There's no guarantee either. What they recover may be corrupted and not usable. This is a literal hail mary otherwise I have nothing.



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The Serger: Unfortunately, it can't be repaired and has to be replaced because the metal shank snapped and jammed up inside the machine, causing the whole thing to stop functioning. As you know, my serger is integral to running Pop Princess and without I can't complete my orders. The cost to replace it will be : $550.00  with free shipping on Amazon which I've also put on my credit card which maxes out my limit.


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This year has not been kind to me financially with the layoff of my work due to the pandemic then contracting Covid, then ending up in the hospital getting stitches for an accident the next month, and a month after that getting in my first car accident and having to repair all the damages for that then Cookie Cat having to be hospitalized at the vet because my stress caused her to get a UTI.

The small savings I did have from last month's order/sales from the new Pop Princess collection are what I have right now for rent and bills, and part of that is going towards paying down co-payments for the surgery I had last month to remove the mass in my throat/tonsillectomy. (And this has all happened in a span of 9 months. It's just... a lot.)

I have been trying to stay positive and hustling so hard taking on contract work of bridal, graphic design, alterations, and the custom orders from Pop Princess and working like 12-16 hour days, but I literally cannot do any of that without my programs and files on my hard drive or having a new serger.

I am overwhelmed and at a loss and it's seriously impacting my depression because I feel helpless. And you know me, I hate asking for help, like I would rather do literally everything myself (not a pride issue, just a trauma response of when asking for help was used against me), but I literally can't afford to this time after everything this year.

(Okay, and I recognize there are far worse things happening locally and in our nation, in our world, that take priority. That these are first world problems. They are more valid than this.)

If you can help, I will draw you a sketch or a little painting or something to repay you somehow if you want? (Like I would feel much better doing that then just accepting money...)

If you can't, that's okay this year has been Hell for so many of us, but maybe you give a shout out to my small business: (Etsy) Pop Princess and Peach Cookie , or even pick up some artwork from my Society6  . Or even recc me to your friends for contract work like alterations or sewing jobs.

And if there is any extra money, I will donate it to local families on here or someone who just needs a little help due to unstable conditions we find ourselves living in.

Well, I love you guys, and thank you for even listening.
Annika