To our friends, family, and kind strangers ❤️

I never thought I would be here, writing these words and asking for help. It is a humbling and heartbreaking place to be, but as I look at my fiancée, Tabetha, and our two sons, I realize I have no other choice. I have to swallow my pride for them. They are my world, and right now, that world is shaking.

I recently went into surgery with the hope of finally getting my life back—of being the partner and father I know I can be. Instead, I’ve found myself trapped in a nightmare. I am now two weeks post-op, and my body is failing to heal. My back remains severely swollen, and a CT scan on March 16th revealed a 7 cm subcutaneous fluid collection in my lower back. Doctors are deeply concerned this is a post-operative abscess or infection. I am currently waiting for a critical follow-up on March 24th to determine if the swelling has receded or if I will have to go back under the knife so they can repair whatever is going wrong inside me.

But the physical pain is only half the battle. I am also mourning the loss of a career I worked so hard for. I held a great position at Electro-Mechanical Corporation, a place where I was proud to work. I was out on Short-Term Disability, waiting to be rolled over into Long-Term care, when the unthinkable happened. Because I hadn’t been with the company quite long enough to be protected by FMLA, I was let go while I was down. To have a year of dedicated hard work wiped away by a technicality—while I was physically unable to defend my position—is a tragedy I am still struggling to process.

Now, the safety net we were counting on is gone. My Long-Term Disability was denied, and we are at a breaking point. We were supposed to be celebrating our wedding in just a couple of months. Instead of planning our future, I am facing an immediate lapse in our insurance and the imminent loss of my car. I am watching everything I have worked so hard to gain for Tabetha and the boys begin to slip through my fingers, and I am physically powerless to stop it.

Watching the "Past Due" notices pile up while I am sidelined and unable to move is a weight I can’t describe. Tabetha is doing everything humanly possible to hold us together, but the weight of our necessities, medical needs, and the needs of our children is simply too much for one person to carry alone. I feel like I am failing them, and the stress is making it impossible for my body to find the strength it needs to fight this infection and heal.

We are asking for your help to keep our family afloat and to save the life we’ve built.

Your kindness will go directly toward:

• Saving Our Transportation: Keeping my car so I can continue to get to the specialists and treatments I need to survive this infection and repair my spine.

• Medical & Insurance Costs: Covering the mounting expenses for ongoing care and the insurance coverage we are about to lose.

• Our Children’s Needs: Ensuring Colton and Noah have the daily necessities and stability they need while their dad fights to get back on his feet.

• Household Stability: Helping us manage the "Past Due" bills that have become impossible to cover on a single income.

Any support, prayer, or sharing of this fundraiser brings a glimmer of hope to a time that feels very dark. Thank you for standing with us, for seeing our struggle, and for helping me fight for my family.

With love and gratitude,

Stephen, Tabetha, Colton, and Noah

(The Linos) ❤️