I’m about to lose an extremely important lifeline

My parents are moving over an hour away in just under a year. My mother—who’s an angel—has driven me to at least one medical appointment every week, often more than just one weekly. Sometimes multiple in a day. But soon, she'll be gone, moving to a new house her and my dad are building. While I am ecstatic for them and know they worked hard and deserve this, the land is over an hour away. And I have no other way to get to doctors appointments, or anywhere for that matter.

So let’s start from the beginning of why I need your help

For the past few years, I've been battling multiple chronic illnesses that make even part-time work impossible. The symptoms are debilitating. I'm fighting pain and exhaustion every day and trying to discover whats going on with my body and how to heal. I hope to go back to work one day and start a career. But that fight requires medical care. And that requires transportation. As does life in general.

**Let’s start where life kicked me in the butt.**

In 2024, I was driving my car when a reckless driver backed out of a parallel parking spot and crashed into the lane I was driving. He refused to give me his name or any other info. Just his number. Witnesses at the scene told me he was at fault, as they saw the entire crash. We exchanged numbers and I gave him all required documents. He, however, gave nothing. The only message he ever replied to was asking for the claim number. He refused to answer the multiple requests for his name, his insurance, his ID. He lied to my insurance company, claiming that *I* rear ended him (despite pictures of the damages proving that was absolutely false). He also lied and said he had a passenger in the car. They paid his claim within a few days of the accident before even interviewing me. I still have not been able to get him to give me even just his name. And because of his lie, his car was fixed in less than a week while mine, which had more costly damages, took multiple months. His refusal to give any information is technically a hit and run and I filed that with the police department. Nothing has resulted from that report.

I demanded my insurance interview me, as they had not given me the opportunity. Not interviewing in the first place, only asking one side of the story, seemed very strange. They bought his lie that it was a rear ending and thought there was no need to interview me. After pleading for a ridiculous amount of time, they agreed to interview me. The pictures undoubtedly proved my innocence as the damages on both cars matched my claim and they were indisputable proof that no rear ending occurred. After I finally got my interview, the decision was overturned within a day—he was 100% at fault. But here's the cruel twist: after months of being uncooperative, my insurance determined he was uninsured. So his decision to illegally skip having insurance is deliberately negligent and reckless. And I paid the price. My parents fixed the car, and it took 9 months after the accident to earn it back  

**I drove it three days**

 Three days of feeling like myself again after 9 months of hard work — an elated feeling of independence, capable, free. On that third day, I was driving when the steering wheel suddenly came loose out of nowhere. The car continued to veer despite my desperate efforts. It crashed into a delivery truck parked nearby.

Totaled  

I broke down completely on the sidewalk. Three days. That's all I got. From the highest hope to utter devastation in 72 hours.

After more discussion, a mechanical failure  so closely to its repairs was appearing more and more strange. I had multiple mechanic friends tell me that steering wheels rarely fail on their own. They are almost ALWAYS caused by a mechanic’s mistake. No one could come look at the car to prove anything. And I had to tow it before the city did. 

**I was destroyed and left helpless twice, neither time my fault**

I'm ecstatic for my parents. They deserve it. I admire their work ethic and endurance more than anyone. But I have no way to get to doctors necessary for me to discover why my body is failing me. No way to maintain the independence I'm desperately trying to hold onto.

I've spent months searching for solutions—any way to get a car that fits my health and financial reality. I'm stuck. I'm stagnant in recovery while investigating the root causes of my symptoms, while simultaneously having new symptoms appear . I can't work my way out of this. 

**Asking for help is embarrassing**

But every dollar given—whether it's $5 or $500 —brings me closer. Closer to making my medical appointments. Closer to taking the burden off my parents as they start their new life. Closer to managing my health with dignity.

I would be so incredibly grateful to anyone who contributes. You're not just helping me buy a car. You're giving me back a piece of my independence. And it’s just one less stress factor that can help me focus on recovering. It’s a HUGE step towards getting a job again and building a career.