My husband and I have a family-owned landscaping business. We poured our hearts into building it up after taking it over from the previous owner, someone Pete had worked alongside since 2011. When their own health struggles made it impossible for them to continue, it came down to either taking over ourselves or losing that income overnight. We chose to keep it going, learning how to run a business from behind the scenes as we went.
Our Story
Our family was recently hit with some unexpected and overwhelming challenges. We faced a devastating setback when some of our most essential business equipment was stolen, crippling our ability to keep the landscaping business running and making it even harder to meet our financial obligations, including rent, utilities, and college expenses.
We’re actively investigating the whereabouts of our equipment and the person who took it, someone Pete has known and worked beside for years. The police haven’t been much help. They told us early on to just ask nicely for our stuff back, since we’re adults. Really?
On top of that, Pete, who has always been the backbone of our family and business, is now battling serious health issues that have made it impossible for him to work as he normally does. We have one child away at college and two more at home, and we’ve found ourselves in a financial situation that’s become increasingly difficult to manage. That’s why we’re sharing our story.
My other income has also taken a hit. I lost my website hosting after falling behind on payments, which meant losing the site entirely and starting over, along with the earlier work, clients, and ad revenue that came with it. I’ve been trying to rebuild it since.
We’re still waiting on a diagnosis for Pete, and his inability to work as he normally would has created a financial gap that’s been hard to fill, especially while we continue supporting our oldest child away at college. We’ve always made it a priority to make sure our kids have what they need to succeed.
Why We Need Your Help
Starting a GoFundMe campaign wasn’t an easy decision. We explored every other option first, cutting back on expenses, looking for other income, even considering more debt, before realizing we couldn’t get through this alone. The funds went directly toward our most pressing needs: rent and utilities, supporting our college-bound child, and replacing the stolen equipment crucial to our business.
How Your Support Will Make a Difference
Your support will have a direct and meaningful impact on our lives. You’ll provide the stability we need to focus on my husband’s health. You will also help with our family’s well-being by covering rent, utilities, and basic necessities. Replacing the stolen business equipment will allow us to get our business back up and running. This is crucial for our financial recovery. It is also important for securing a future for our family.
Additionally, your support will help us continue to provide for our child in college. This support ensures they can focus on their studies without the added worry of financial stress. Every donation, no matter the size, will bring us closer to overcoming these challenges. It will give us the strength to keep moving forward.
We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support we’ve already received from friends, family, and even strangers. Your generosity and kindness have brought us hope and comfort during one of the most challenging times in our lives. We understand that these are tough times for many. We cannot express how much we appreciate every single donation, kind word, and prayer sent our way. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for standing by us and helping us through this difficult period. Your support means more to us than words can express. We’re truly thankful for each and every one of you.
How to Donate and Share
Our GoFundMe campaign and Amazon Wishlist have since closed. Thank you to everyone who donated, shared, or simply kept us in their thoughts during that time. It made a real difference, and we’re only able to share where we are now because of that support.
UPDATE 9/14/24:
Since Pete’s health is a major part of what we were navigating, here’s an update. Pete was being seen by seven different specialists trying to identify the cause of his significant weight, muscle, and strength loss. He’d been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes years earlier and managed it through diet, but his fasting glucose was now near 300, with symptoms pointing toward Type 1 Diabetes as well. He was prescribed a glucose monitor and two types of insulin, one for daily use and one for emergency spikes.
Our insurance didn’t cover the daily insulin, which cost nearly $110 out of pocket, and only partially covered the monitor and supplies. He was also showing signs of hypothyroidism, which puzzled his doctors since he kept losing weight instead of gaining it, and lab results revealed potential kidney issues.
As for the theft, the case was marked inactive after the officer handling it seemed more interested in arguing over jurisdiction than taking action. Both my son and I put in countless job applications during this stretch to help cover expenses while we tried to get the business back on track.
Update: 9-20-24
Pete was diagnosed with Stage 1 Kidney Disease as a result of the diabetes. Thankfully his kidneys were still functioning at 100%, but getting his blood sugar under control became critical to slowing the disease’s progression.
Our doctor helped us find more affordable insulin options, and Pete started a daily evening insulin along with an emergency insulin for spikes, though his glucose still swung wildly, from the 400s down to the 70s overnight. As for the business, we’d largely given up hope of recovering the stolen equipment and started over with what little we had left.
Thank you again to everyone who stood by us. It truly helped us through the toughest of times.
Daily Deals from a Nerd Mom 
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