A Personal Plea – Urgent Help Needed for My Mother and Me
Hello, my name is Karen Surgeon. This is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to write. I’m 60 years old, and while I’ve faced many highs and lows in life, I never imagined I would be in this position—scared, overwhelmed, and in desperate need of help. Two years ago, my world turned upside down. I had just lost my son in a tragic and violent incident. Around the same time, my mother became widowed after losing her husband to cancer. I left everything behind in Boulder, Colorado, and returned to my hometown of Tucson, Arizona, to care for her full-time. My mother is 84 years old and in very fragile health—she has a heart aneurysm, dangerously high blood pressure, and is only 4’3″ and 80 lbs. Over the 4th of July weekend, a terrifying incident occurred: two teens threw large rocks through her bedroom window at 3 AM. One rock missed her head by just two inches. The glass shattered all over her. The next day, still shaken, she fell and broke her ribs. She is now completely bedridden, and I care for her 24/7. Since coming back to Tucson, we’ve been through a storm of hardship. We initially moved into a relative’s home that turned out to be unsafe. We had to flee in the middle of the night and call the police over 15 times. We left with nothing. Eventually, I moved us into a small mobile home in a 55+ community—modest, but at least a roof over our heads. Rent and utilities are over $1,200 per month, and our savings have dwindled fast. Earlier this year, desperate to create a better future, I invested in what I believed was a legitimate online business opportunity. I made it clear to those I trusted that I had $10,000 to invest—no more. I asked for step-by-step guidance, explaining that I suffer from memory issues due to a traumatic brain injury years ago, and that I had limited computer skills. They promised full support and claimed it was “done for you.” But it was all misleading. As soon as I paid, the support disappeared. I was pushed to pay more, little by little. My savings drained, my credit plummeted, and I found myself deeper in crisis. Now, I’m falling behind on rent, utilities, car insurance—basic needs. I can’t even afford pet food.