My wife couldn’t walk without pain, and now we’re facing an unexpected financial gap during her recovery.
After a meniscus surgery two years ago that unfortunately did not help — and actually seemed to make things worse — she was told she might have to live with the pain for the rest of her life. Despite that, she kept working as a massage therapist, a job that requires standing on her feet all day.
She pushed through the pain for as long as she could.
Eventually the damage in her knee became severe. The cartilage was completely gone and her knee had become bone-on-bone, meaning the bones were grinding together every time she walked. The pain reached a point where she literally could no longer walk without severe pain, and she was forced to stop working.
At that point, knee replacement surgery became the only option.
We scheduled the surgery knowing it would mean some lost income, but we tried to prepare as best we could. Unfortunately, we were hit with unexpected out-of-pocket medical costs, including large partial payments required up front for the procedure.
Then another unexpected setback happened.
After working for the same company for four years, I was suddenly notified that I would be furloughed with just over a week's notice. This happened right in the middle of my wife's recovery and during a time when she is unable to work.
The good news is that I immediately began searching for work and I start my new job tomorrow. I’m doing everything I can to keep our household moving forward.
However, in the meantime we have experienced a sudden loss of income. My wife has lost approximately $4,500 in wages while recovering from surgery, and we are still waiting for short-term disability payments that may take time to process. Even when those payments arrive, much of it will go toward insurance premiums and medical expenses.
To help keep some income coming in, my wife is also being forced to use all of her vacation and paid time off, meaning when she returns to work later this year she will not have any time off available.
We are asking for help simply to bridge this unexpected financial gap while she heals and gets back on her feet.
Any support will go directly toward:
• Medical expenses
• Lost income during recovery
• Basic household bills while she is unable to work
If you’re able to contribute or even share this campaign, it would mean more to us than we can express.
Thank you so much for your kindness and support while we work through this difficult moment and focus on healing.
