The Fell Family Who Have Fallen

My name is John Fell. My wife Natalie and daughter Sarah have fallen on hard times lately. A tree damaged one of our cars and our home when it fell. We have 2 major holes in the roof, broken gutters and so much more. We have so many repairs needed on our home and just cannot take care of them.

in addition, our daughter was in a car accident. Thank goodness she and her best friend were not harmed, but the car was totaled. We have a payment going towards the balance of the car but it’s not enough to pay it off.

So many things have led us to this spot in our lives. It really began in the early 2000’s. I was diagnosed as Bi-Polar and Natalie had to have major back fusion surgery for degeneration in her spine. In the last 23 years, we were hit with one thing after another.

I developed addictions that has really ruined us financially. In 2011, I lost my 16 year career due to my mental health issues. I then lost another job a year later due to poor sales and management. I went 5 months before finding a new job. Although I was making considerably less, I was on solid ground. That was until 2020. My job, as was the position of over 300 others, was eliminated. I went all of 2020 without work. I found a job in early 2021 and lost that after 6 months. I am now in a good job but have had to take time off due to a nervous breakdown in January of 2023. I have missed a lot of time and am worried that I may get in serious trouble with this job. I cannot lose this one. With health issues, we need to keep our insurance.

Natalie was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia. Her body is always in a constant flare up, always in serious pain, she can barely walk around our house without having spasms. We can no longer do things like grocery shop together due to her illness. I can go into so much more, but Natalie is so strong and does what she can to provide for us and fight through the pain. Some days are worse than others.

With my issues with addiction, I’ve caused us to file for bankruptcy, almost lose our house and our marriage. I’ve borrowed from my family to the point where my parents had to say no. I was draining their savings. My addiction wasn’t drugs or alcohol. It was spending through manic episodes of my bi-polar. It sounds crazy, but compulsive shopping is legitimate and I’ve even attended meetings for Debtors Anonymous as well as spent out patient treatment at Sheppard Pratt hospital (a mental health facility). This was in January of this year when I felt I was at wits end.

In 2014, I had a heart attack and came close to losing my life had a nurse not checked my numbers as I was leaving the hospital. In my darkest times, I felt that I should not have survived. It would have been been better for Natalie and Sarah if I had died. They wouldn’t have gone through what they have in the last 9 years.

With all of this and more, this is completely embarrassing but I’m at the end of my rope and don’t know what other options we have. All we ask is that you please consider our story and help if you can. If not, we understand as everyone has their own plight and issues in their lives. Much love and gratefulness to you all.

Thank you,

John, Natalie and Sarah Fell