Let's bring some relief to the McCarthys

My name is Tammi McCarthy, and I am writing this on behalf of our family. I never thought I would ever be writing one of these campaigns for our own family. As many of my friends have noted, I'm not good with asking for help, but I love being able to help others. My husband has always been generous in his care for family, friends, and helping others in our community. Part of sharing our story is peeling back the curtain on our life the past few years. My husband has worked his whole life since he was about 16. He always prided himself on his strong work ethic. After working multiple jobs, he decided in his late 20s to go back to college, and get a degree. He graduated with a double major in Theology/Philosophy with a minor in Communications.....and a wife. He loves knowledge. He always knows the most random facts, and seeks to learn whenever he can. He could beat anyone at scrabble, answers most jeopardy questions, and I think memorized most of the Trivia Pursuit questions. My mom would call regularly for him to help her with her crossword puzzles. Over the past 20 years, he has worked hard to establish a successful career in software sales. I have been to all-expense-paid trips to Puerto Rico, Cancun, and the Riviera Maya because of his success with his companies. He worked hard to get our family into a beautiful house, and provide a nice quality of life for us. About 11 years ago, my husband Dan contracted viral encephalysis while I was 9 months pregnant with our fifth child and taking care of our 4 other children under the age of 8. With a 70% fatality rate, we were the lucky ones. After a year and a half recovery, Dan appeared to be doing well and continued with the same career path. About 3 years ago, Dan returned to the neurologist as he was beginning to experience slowed mental processing, forgetting clients, mixing up appointments and other neurological issues. He was getting headaches reading, and it was taking him 70 hours of work a week to perform simple tasks that others could do in 40 hours. We knew something was not right but Dan continued to work everyday for his family, utilizing recorders to take copious notes as his brain could not hold any information. It was at this time (December 2020) that we sold our home of 10 years, and decided to move closer to family in case Dan's health continued to decline. The housing market made it impossible to find a home for a family of seven, so we decided to rent as we continued to look for a place. Within months of renting, he lost his job, unable to meet the demands of a high stress sales job that requires mental sharpness and high functioning memory and social skills. We invested in a family business hoping that we could develop an alternative long-term plan for providing for our family but that business couldn't financially support multiple families. We used all our savings/house proceeds for our expenses to cover the next year while I took a job working in the family business. Our families have helped keep us afloat. After Dan being on unemployment last year and seeing multiple specialists, it was determined in the past few months that the traumatic brain injury that he sustained in 2011 has left him permanently disabled. While he spent 30 days in an impatient mental health treatment facility in May, I started counseling for the children and myself, and work a full-time remote job. He now suffers with major depressive disorder, extreme social anxiety, as well as the deteriorating neurological effects of a Traumatic Brain Injury. This diagnosis has been devastating to the man whom he has always been. The fun loving mixologist who has always brought the fun to any party, everyone's favorite uncle, can't handle the overstimulation of a family gathering. He can not provide for our family the way he once had. It has been determined by his neurologist and his psychiatrist that he seek disability from the government so to keep our family afloat. A stay-at-home-homeschooling mom for over 15 years, I have little work experience to be able to replace his salary, and with his current condition, we can't be a two income family. I am asking for help from our community to help me "bridge the gap" over the next few months as we await the decision on his disability claim, and I seek a second job/better employment to help our family. Our family has had to face many emotional obstacles with this new diagnosis, and our financial needs make us feel like we are drowning. Having some support to pay our monthly rent and other bills will sustain us as we adjust to all these changes for our family. We have always trusted in the Lord's provision and know that He will see us through this. We had to put a goal amount on this campaign but we are really just super grateful for any assistance we can get. Please keep us in your prayers as we go through this trying time.