With all that has been happening here with the site redesign (watch for Update #2) and personally (watch for Update #3), I have neglected to keep you all updated on the status of our GoFundMe which I previously discussed here, and that is bad of me because so many friends, former co-workers and complete strangers have come through for us in an amazing way, pushing us to 42% of our goal.

We’re not out of the woods but your donations have had a substantial impact on our lives. In my last post I talked about the importance of having safety grab bars installed in our tub and bathroom, and a railing extension added in our stairwell. As the donations were coming in we ordered the hardware and tried to locate a local handyman to do the installation.

All told it was about $350 total but what it has done for my safety has been priceless. The grab bars let me stand in the shower safely and since I have something to hold on to securely I don’t tighten up my legs for stability which has reduced the pain I was feeling tremendously. I can also now use the bars to hold on to when I do sit on the shower stool to help myself sit and stand more steadily. Previously, with nothing to hold on to I was always so concerned about not being able to change positions without losing my balance. I am also now able to get in an out of the tub so much more easily because I have the vertical bar right at the edge to hold on to while I swing my legs up and over the tub wall.

I hope this explains it well enough, these are things I used to do without thinking and until I was faced with the shift from them being routine to potentially lethal I never considered how helpful these would be.

I recorded a brief video for you all to see what we did, and to thank you personally for showing up for us. You did this for us by donating and by sharing our page and for that I am, and always will be, forever grateful.

If you missed it the first time around, you can read our story on our GoFundMe page. We understand that things are tough all over now so while we certainly appreciate your donations if you are able, if you can’t, it’s ok – even a share to your networks gets it out in front of different eyes.

Thank you again for your support!