Please help Garland with expenses after hospital!

Hi there! I'm Lovey and I've begun this campaign to help Garland who is my only brother and my world! Recently he has suffered multiple

health crisis affecting his ability to earn enough money for his bills. He has not been able to work at his full time job at his retail job since January 11th.

While my brother has had many diagnoses related to his diabetes, he's been successful at losing 56 lbs since December which started to stabilize his health. He had been feeling better in general due to his new eating habits and motivation to lose weight. So he finally agreed to schedule a much needed procedure on Jan 12 on his right foot essentially to save it from eventual amputation due to complications of diabetic neuropathy, including chronic and continuous untreated infections. He had no idea of all the troubles ahead!

After undergoing the successful tendon lengthening surgery on his left foot, he required more time off for recovery than initially expected, he began falling behind with his bills.

Because he has a standing /walking job, he was not cleared to resume weight bearing activities which included preforming his loss prevention duties at work. In the meantime, he decided to try to augment his income by capitalizing on ride share driving opportunities. He got into a car accident that didn't hurt him, but his Toyota didn't do as well. For three weeks he waited for the collision shop to get his part in while he scrambled to make money using an expensive rental. He kept trying to quietly meet his obligations.

While waiting to return to his full time job, Garland became ill with what was later diagnosed as Cellulitis (a dangerous bacterial infection) that began in his right leg and spread. He needed to be hospitalized immediately after presenting himself to the ER on Feb 2nd.

My brother has enough comorbidities for this to be a real problem. So his treatment care at UNC hospitals continued for 26 days including a couple of life-threatening scary days in intensive care with an inevitable amputation to one of his digits on the affected foot/leg. And even though things looked dreary after ten days with his body seemingly weakening every day, Garland kept his chin up. He was being a model patient, calm, compliant and hopeful. He was determined to recover quickly, volunteering for extra physical therapy when available as part of his in patient care. There was no other approach for him. He wanted to get back to work!

As gut-wrenching as his struggle was for me as his sister to watch, while visiting him at least once a day, it was also stressful to see the worry on his face, about the impending expenses piling up. It would have been much better for him to have only his recovery to think about. Like the rest of us, he's used to facing problems, but not the simultaneous onslaught of calamities with which he was met.

As he continued to get better and the IVs were removed, Garland's care team eventually moved my brother from UNC Chapel Hill to UNC Hospital at Hillsborough to begin level four rigorous rehabilitation including 'use of stairs' therapy.

While he was making (literal) strides with the aid of a walker, Garland and I put enough money together to pay some of his bills including rent for Jan and February, utilities and insurances which was great but a temporary stay.

Garland was discharged from UNC on Feb 27 to continue rehab at home, from which he is over 90% recovered. Now that he can walk again without the immobility boots on either foot, depending only on a cane, he may drive again and work on his feet.

Garland's reality still finds him in jeapordy with more expenses that have accrued, and it would be very difficult without extreme measures and/or help to bring him out of this acute financial crisis.

Even with insurance, a month-long stay at any hospital will deplete all savings, and then some, for people like my brother.

Although he is back at work at Wal-Mart as of this past Monday and things are looking brighter in regards to his health, he still potentially faces eviction, car repossession and all the other problems that arise out of such a situation. He's exhausted all extentions his creditors have afforded him and needs desperately to get back on track.

Because my brother has never wanted to be a burden to anyone, he's always been careful to live within his means and pay his bills on time when humanly possible, rarely asking for help. In challenging situations, he and I support each other in all the ways we can, but sometimes it just isn't enough.

My fear is that the stress over this very temporary situation may land him right back in the hospital. And so, I am asking his friends, and mine, to please help us get Garland over the hump so he can resume his life, working and living in peace without the threat of losing all that he's been blessed to work so hard for.

If we are able to raise $4,600 on this GoFundMe page, we will pay Garland's March and April rent utilities, car notes. Insurances, meds, food, gas, personals and house supplies are being covered by whatever monies we have now.

If you've ever gotten his warning or break from a parking violation, had to open your bag and produce your Wal-Mart receipt before leaving the store, or ridden in his Uber/Lyft and asked to listen to something other than jazz, you know that Garland takes whatever job he's doing seriously, but also has fun when appropriate. Well liked by his coworkers, he's been known to spread good cheer and good jokes, sometimes at the expense of the listener.

Slow to complain, Garland is a sweet and solid guy, ready to assist and support anyone in his circle or otherwise who needs his help. He loves family and friends in his reliable, quiet and comfortable manner.

If there is anyone in this world deserving of a break, I believe it is definitely my brother Garland.

Please consider donating $20-25 or more. All of it will definitely help us reach the goal to meet his needs.

Thank and blessings to everyone who was willing to read my message and share. And thank you eternally to anyone willing and able to help monetarily in any small way.

Sincerely,

Lovey