In Support of The McLeod Family

Help the McLeod Family Through Unexpected Medical, Home & Financial Crises


Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read our story. 

We are the McLeod family. My husband is a disabled U.S. Army veteran, and earlier this year our family relocated to Texas hoping to begin a new chapter in our lives. Four months ago, we purchased a home using a VA loan and were excited to finally have a place to call our own. 

Before our lives changed, my husband and I attended truck driving school together, earned our CDLs, and went on to work as team truck drivers. We were accustomed to working hard and providing for our family. That chapter of our lives came to an unexpected end after my husband became seriously ill and was hospitalized with what we were told fluid on his brain. Along with the disabilities he already lives with, his health made it impossible for us to continue the trucking career we had built together. 

Since then, I have taken on a greater caregiving role while also working toward rebuilding our family's financial future. I am currently pursuing my bachelor's degree in computer science with a concentration in Cybersecurity. My goal is to build a career that will allow me to work remotely while continuing to provide the support my husband needs and create greater financial stability for our family. 

Unfortunately, since moving into our home, one unexpected expense after another has put us in a financial situation we never anticipated. 

Shortly after moving in, we began discovering costly problems with our home. We've experienced plumbing problems, a failed hot water heater that had to be replaced, serious HVAC problems during the Texas summer heat, and other unexpected issues. These were not problems we were aware of when we purchased the home, and they were not identified for us in the inspection report. At the same time, our utility and water bills have been much higher due to these issues.

Our concern about keeping our utilities on goes far beyond comfort. We have family members in our household with significant medical needs, including a son who lives with epilepsy and grandchildren with asthma and diabetes. Other members of our household also have asthma. With the extreme Texas heat, losing electricity and water would create more than an inconvenience for our household-it could create serious health and safety concerns.

While we are still dealing with these home problems and trying to determine how we will afford the repairs that remain, another emergency happened. Our family's only vehicle- a 2015 Chevrolet Suburban-broke down and now needs an alternator. That has left us without reliable transportation at a time when members of our family need access to medical care and appointments, in addition to school, groceries, errands, and everyday necessities.

Right now, the possibility of losing utilities while having no working vehicle is frightening. If our electricity or water is interrupted, we don't currently have another place nearby where our entire family can simply go, and without our vehicle, even getting everyone somewhere safe would be difficult. 

We have done everything we can to keep our family afloat and handle these problems ourselves, but having so many major expenses happen within a short period of time has overwhelmed our finances. 

We are asking for temporary help with our immediate transportation needs, utilities, essential household expenses, and necessary home repairs while we work toward getting our family back on stable ground.

We don't take asking for help lightly. Any amount helps, and if you're unable to donate, simply sharing our story could make an incredible difference. Sometimes one share can reach the person who is able and willing to help.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story, for sharing it, for donating if you're able, and for keeping our family in your thoughts and prayers. 

With gratitude,
The McLeod Family