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Due to health reasons I have been unable to work and we are in danger of losing our home. Thank you to anyone that is willing and able to open their hearts and help our family.
I am a very private person, so putting all this out here is really hard for me; but I hope that it helps to show that I am willing to give anything a try to help keep our family in our home. Life was going pretty good. My husband of 13 years, Steve, and I have three great kids (currently 9, 7, and 3 years old) we both had good jobs that paid well with good benefits, but that all changed.
I have struggled with depression since the age of 18 (I am currently 38), but have always been able to be aware and manage the situation to where I fortunately never fell down the rabbit hole. About two years ago I experienced a trauma that affected me more than I ever would have expected. I began experiencing high levels of anxiety, panic attacks, and persistent depression.
I began seeing different doctors and counselors, trying many different medications, and enrolled in an intensive outpatient program. Nothing has worked for me. After taking two separate disability leaves from work (the second I actually ended up being admitted to a locked ward in the hospital for one week), there was a paperwork issue between the doctor and the disability company and I ended up being terminated from my job this past April. The loss of income has been devastating.
I have used what I had in my 401k to pay the bills and my husband has taken out what he has been allowed to withdraw from his, but there is nothing else we can do. We have tried refinancing our home unsuccessfully, and have been researching bankruptcy. The issue with that is the largest debt load we have is between the mortgage and student loans which can not be discharged. Some days I struggle to get out of bed, leaving the house can cause great anxiety, and I have a very hard time driving most of the time unless it is a very short distance and in an area that I am comfortable in.
My kids have suffered because of me which breaks my heart and I don’t want to make them lose the only home they have ever known, and quite possibly have to move to a different school away from their friends and comfort zones. I have applied for social security benefits and been denied, appealed the decision, and that was denied as well. I am in the process of waiting for a hearing with a judge to determine if I will be approved for benefits, however due to backlogs it can take upwards of a year for the hearing to be scheduled.
Which is why I am starting this campaign. It’s not easy airing personal business, and it getting harder and harder to “keep up appearances” if you will, but the reality of the situation is that my family needs help. I am asking for funds to pay off our mortgage (which we are currently 3 months behind on) in order to not have to uproot our kids.
Thank you to any and all that choose to find it in their hearts to donate to our family.