On Saturday, April 6th, 2024, one moment changed my life for the worse. Since then, I have been trying to put it back together. Colorado was hit by a massive windstorm with dangerous gusts. I was driving and only five minutes from home when my car accident happened. A 70 mph wind gust propelled a green, heavy-duty plastic telecommunications box into my car. It struck above my right front tire and shattered on impact. Half of it wrapped around the front end of my car and shredded it. The other half went underneath my car, lifting the front end of my car into the air before it slammed back down. Beyond the damage to my car, the impact sprang my neck and back. That fateful moment set off a chain reaction throughout every part of my life.
Before the accident, I already had an important surgery scheduled for May 3rd. It had been in the works for several months. After roughly two years of trying to identify the cause of constant pain in my left shoulder, my doctor's last resort was exploratory surgery. To his surprise, my distal clavicle was pointing upward and had to be removed. During recovery, I had to wear a sling to hold my arm in place. The injuries from the accident caused complications with my recovery. Those complications still impact me to this very day.
At the time of the accident, I was driving for Uber on top of working my main job to afford living on my own. After my accident, I was stuck in a rental car for 90 days. My insurance company mishandled my claim and I was out of my car for 40 days past my allotted rental car coverage. When I finally got my car back, I was notified that I was on the hook for thousands of dollars. I had to make up the difference for the rental car after the designated 50 days. Even though my insurance company directly caused the extended time, they refused to reimburse the full amount. On top of that, they refused to repair the mechanical damages my car sustained. As a result, I couldn't drive for Uber again until April 2025. That was when my parents graciously helped cover part of the repairs so I could Uber.
Attempt after attempt, my insurance company refused to reimburse me for about $24,000 in lost wages. Their refusal to do what is right ruined me financially. It has trapped me in an inescapable hole. If it wasn't for my parents, I would have lost my home more times than I can count. If I lost my home, I would be unable to rent or own property until after I dug myself out of the significant debt my car accident put me in, as well as the detrimental consequences it had on my credit score.
Every day, I think about how truly blessed I am for my parents' support. I would be lost without them. Their support mattered even more after I was left with no other choice but to resign from my job in August 2025 due to discrimination. By that point, the fallout from my accident had already put my job in jeopardy. The financial turmoil wore me down every day. The treatment I needed for my injuries added more strain. I've spoken to multiple lawyers, none of them would take my case on.
Ever since my resignation, I have worked tirelessly to get my life back on track. Sadly, my fight to return to how my life was before my accident has already been going on for one year and four months before I resigned. Constant burnout has made surviving more and more of a struggle. I feel like I'm drowning and barely able to keep up with bills and rent. Almost every month, I have feared I would lose my home. No matter how much worse life gets and that both my insurance company and the legal system have failed me, I will never give up the fight. I will keep pushing through.
Months of trial and error, along with constant research and planning, led me to create GoodsStash. I've thrown my all into building it with the hope that I'll finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Each purchase you make with my shop helps me work toward rebuilding my life and continue my treatment to make a full recovery. More importantly, I want to pay my parents back for everything they have done, out of the kindness of their hearts, to help me through the ordeal my car accident put me in.
The commitment I have to rebuilding my life will be the same level of commitment I have to providing you the best service and experience I can. Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I'm truly grateful for any and all support.
