Too crazy to not be true!

Hi,

My name is Melissa, and I am raising funds for my daughter, Charity. Yes, that is her real name and not a pun! Charity has been very healthy her whole life, and has never had any major accidents, illnesses, or injuries. However, in 2023 she began having a stream of bad luck. I call it that, since there are no other words to describe what is happening to her. It started in March while skiing (for the first time), Charity fell and broke her leg. She tore her ACL and meniscus, requiring both surgery and physical therapy. Since her job was in the food service industry, she was unable to work for quite some time. Although she struggled, she kept a positive attitude.

In June, doctors found a tumor in her abdomen. They were able to surgically remove it, and thankfully, the tumor was benign. In the middle of July, she received the opportunity to join a management training program for a national food franchise. This required her to move over 1000 miles away from home. Even though she was leaving all her family and friends, she looked at this as an opportunity to make a better life for her and her 16-year-old son. I never worried about Charity as she is a hard worker and has always been able to assimilate well in new situations. Things were going great. She had rented a nice house, and her son was enrolled in school, and she was making friends.

Unfortunately, while walking through a parking lot in November, Charity fainted and landed chin first on the concrete. Luckily, a good samaritan saw her, called 911, and stayed with her until the ambulance arrived. When Charity regained consciousness, she sat up, spit out parts of 7 of her back teeth, and realized she had sliced open her chin. Doctors discovered she had also broken her jaw. It took multiple stitches to close her chin, and she had to have her jaw wired shut for seven weeks. Seven weeks of eating through a straw did not dampen her spirits. I never heard her complain once even during holiday dinners. In December, she phoned me from the hospital. She had kidney stones and was required to be off of work until they passed.

On January 8th, she finally got the wires out of her mouth! She was so excited to eat off of a spoon. She still cannot open her jaw more than 1/2 of an inch and may only eat soft foods for 2 weeks, but it is progress. When she was describing the situation with her teeth, I could hear her voice begin to crack as she spoke. She finally broke down. As a mom, you never want to see your child suffer, and it hurt my heart so much to listen to her. She explained that not only does she need caps on most of her back teeth, she is going to need braces because they were pushed in multiple directions in her fall and most are loose. On top of this, she is struggling to find an in-network dentist that is willing to take new patients. She has been so strong through all of this, and her spirit is just broken.

In reflecting over the last year it is unbelievable to me the series of unfortunate events and mishaps that Charity has gone through. It's so crazy, that if she was not my daughter I probably would not believe it. Although Charity has never asked for help, I know she has depleted all of her savings as well as her credit paying for the out-of-pocket medical expenses. She does have medical insurance but she has to pay a high deductible and then a percentage of certain costs. The start of the new year means her deductible must be met again in addition to paying for any uncovered costs. Estimates to help her keep her teeth and fix the trauma to her mouth are in the thousands. All funds raised will be dedicated to paying medical and dental expenses. Any contributions would be greatly appreciated even if a few dollars. If you are not able to contribute at this time, I understand. I know that times are tough. Just keeping Charity in your thoughts would mean the world to me. Thank you.