I am always shocked when I read about sisters who have nothing good to say about the other, because I happen to have a sister who never lets me down. Despite not being the easiest sibling on the planet, I can count on her 24/7. So when she needed me on August 3, 2021 – the day she became a victim of a shooting that killed her cousin/friend (as she called her) – I didn’t have to ask what I could do to help her. I made plans to move in with her to help care for her 5 children and do what I could to contribute to her recovery. 

It took almost a month for Liz to put pressure on the leg where the bullet ripped through her left thigh and shattered her femur bone; with no exit, the shrapnel remains in both her hip and buttocks. We are extremely grateful the bullet that ricocheted off her forehead causing staples and stitches, is also healing. I don’t think she will ever heal from the memory and experiences of that night, when they decided to make a stop for a few minutes and became one of the latest statistics of rising gun violence here in Champaign-Urbana. 

Now, Liz is trying to find her way through the fog of bureaucracy. Her employer’s disability plan only covers 10 weeks. Now that she’s not working full time, medical coverage costs for her 5 children and herself are out of pocket; in which, disability is only 60% of her natural income. According to her physician, Dr. Sabrina Khan, MD, “if all goes well in the next 3 to 6 months,” she could clear Liz to return to work, however, limited savings and a big family to feed (plus disability insurance that ends in October) paints a bleak picture of Liz’s road ahead. This only covers her fulltime job, her part time job had no benefits to help during this off time and this has left Liz and her family with the loss of $1600-2000$ in income a month.

Does Liz qualify for victim’s assistance help? She does. But despite completing all the paperwork and submitting it to the proper authorities, she has been left in the dark about the progress of her claim. Further, according to a Crime Victims Compensation document published by the Illinois Attorney General, “The Illinois Crime Victims Compensation is the payor of last resort.” 

This means that until Liz has exhausted every insurance avenue first (e.g., Worker’s Compensation, medical insurance, and any other compensation for which she is eligible), this aid may be withheld until such a time all other resources have been tapped. 

Her recovery is being impacted by her state of mind as she worries about how she will survive over the next 6 months if it takes that long for her to fully recover. For this reason and more, I’m starting this Funding appeal in hopes that people living in C-U and elsewhere can help Liz and her kids. 

Her friends have been amazing; delivering food, volunteering to help clean and care for her, as she goes through the painful experience of emotional and physical rehab. What she needs most is cash until she is fully recovered, and Dr. Khan says she’s ready to go back to work. Even the smallest amount of cash would be a blessing. So if you read Liz’s story and want to help, please do not feel that you must give a lot; anything you can give will be gratefully received. 

If you decide to help, this link will take you to her donation page and no matter how small the amount you want to contribute happens to be, please remember that you will have my eternal thanks for helping my sister survive this horrific incident. She also has cashapp $lizzybeth86.  “I don’t understand why this happened to me,” she keeps saying when she is at her lowest emotionally and in pain after the rehab sessions that leave her in tears. 

I can only sit by, listen, and hope that by starting this fund, life will be easier for her. I can’t erase the memory, but I can help her face the future knowing that she has the support of so many people who have her back!