Hi, I’m Michelle aka Shelly and Mickey. I witnessed a SWAT shootout that to several unfortunate events happen that lead to my foot being broken in four places and PTSD.

I was on my way to work for Amazon as a contractor delivery driver when the police started asking drivers to turn around. Since I was only two blocks away, I thought if I went down a side street it might get me to work. But what I saw was scary, actually terrifying. Police and SWAT everywhere. There must have been 4 dozen or more in total. They all were holding their rifles in the shooting position in a 6-block radius. I’m thinking what have I gotten myself into. I drove a little further and I’m getting deeper into the trouble. As I was looking at Google maps to get me to work that’s when it all went down right in front of me. The bad guy started shooting at the police and they returned fire. There were so many gun shots going off it was crazy. I started screaming in terror. Then I saw the bad guy get shot multiple times. It was horrible. He then dropped to the ground. He died. I watched someone get shot multiple times, fall and die. I went hysterical. I ended up going to the ER in shock with severe anxiety. I now have PTSD. I have nightmares. I don’t like to sleep due to them. I have flashbacks and they make me cry. I cry a lot now. I’m sad all the time. I can’t concentrate. I’m irritable. I get mad easily. I have little interest in doing anything. I can’t eat, it makes me sick to my stomach too. I tremble at times. I’m fearful of leaving the house. My symptoms go on and on. My doctor put me on PTSD medicine and antidepressants. The PTSD medicine is to be taken at bedtime because it can cause dizziness. And it does, really, really bad. It made me so dizzy that I saw grey and brown clouds. I fell back, then forward and then I’m not sure what happened. When I came to all I could do is crawl to the couch. I got on the couch and my foot is killing me. I’m like no!!!! It can’t be broken. My foot was swelling quickly. I couldn’t move my toes. The next day I went to Urgent Care and they x-ray my foot. It’s broken in 3 places. Now I can’t work for 10 weeks. The first four weeks I have wear a boot and walk only on my heal. Then I go back to doctors for another x-ray. If all goes well in the first four weeks, then for the next six weeks I still need to wear the boot but I can put my weight on my foot. 

During these 10 weeks I will not have any money coming since I’m a contractor driver for Amazon. I’m a flex driver, meaning I’m not an employee, so I don’t get any benefits. It’s the only job that works with my life and health. I have other health issues and usually 1 or 2 doctor appointments a week. I have an inherited mutated gene. I have FAP and my APC gene is mutated. I get weekly blood infusions that take 4.5 hours. That’s basically a whole day. My savings got drained during COVID and the seven surgeries I had during and after the pandemic. I live paycheck to paycheck.

I’m asking if you can, please help me pay my rent and bills. I would be extremely grateful for whatever you can do. Thanks for taking the time to read my dilemma. 

Shelly Michelle