Uber Driver Shot - Help show your support

Hi, I'm Josh Ruiz, a Seattle Uber driver with over 4,100 trips, high ratings, and great reviews.  I was shot by a passenger with a 9mm handgun, was on life support, barely survived, and now paralyzed. . I could really use a little financial help with this catastrophic and disruptive event in my life. The funds would go to help with living and medical expenses, as I cannot work and Uber nor insurance companies have helped.

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NEWS STORY: VIDEO  
RECOVERY: PICTURES

MY STORY
On May 14th at 3:03 am 2019, I was given a passenger to pick up at a park off 10th ave in north Seattle. I quickly arrived and picked up my passenger. He sat behind me, we exchanged greetings, everything seemed to be normal (He didn't seem intoxicated). We had no further conversations or verbal exchanges for the remainder of the ride, until the accident. 

At Mercer and 5th ave while driving at a speed of 35mph - 40mph, a loud explosion erupted from behind me (or I so believed to be under me) I could no longer move my left leg or foot. A feeling of numbness and what could be best described as buzzing ran down my left side. I pulled over as soon as I could find a safe place. My passenger started screaming "Oh f**k!" repeatedly and quickly proceeded to exit my vehicle. My passenger was pacing back and forth outside repeatedly saying  "Oh f**k.". My passenger then began to walk off in what I assume was shock and fear. I called to him and exclaimed "Dude, don't leave me like this" as I begged him to call 911. (I still didn't know I had been shot at this time) I then lost consciousness.

I awoke to police yelling at me  "Get out of the vehicle!" while being yanked out my car and thrown face down to the ground. I yelled to them "I'm an Uber driver! Grab my phone off of the dashboard!" I passed out again. Allegedly, a police officer stuck his finger in my entrance wound until EMTs could arrive for proper medical attention. I shortly woke to EMTs looking for "the exit wound".  At that point, I realized I had been shot. They strapped me to a medical gurney and loaded me into the back of an ambulance. The EMTs then instructed me to call my loved ones and let them know what had happened, as I was losing a lot of blood. 

I woke up three days later in ICU with over 130 staples, a tube sticking out of my neck, an artery reconstruction, my kidneys shut down, needing dialysis, and paralyzed in my left leg. Uber and insurance companies have failed to offer any financial help. Since I was technically a contractor for Uber and I was hurt by an event "within the car not by the car" I have no health or personal injury coverage. I am in constant pain from the nerve damage in my leg and foot. I just hope this doesn't happen to anyone else. If you drive for a rideshare company please be safe, get a vest. This was a senseless act of violence and negligence by an individual that should not have owned a firearm. Thank you for listening.