A local father is struggling to keep a roof over his 8-year-old daughter's head.
Due to a debilitating injury, Chris Luna is out of work and asking for help.
After trying to push past a work injury, it's now come to the point that Luna needs surgery before he can move on with his life. He says asking for help is not easy but what needs to be done so he can continue to care for his daughter.
Right now, he and his daughter, Jennifer, are staying with friends in Nampa.
About three years ago, Luna was crushed by a car while working at a junk yard. Being pinned by the vehicle injured his back and neck.
"I felt like if I went back to work like you're supposed to do then that was the best option to take care of my daughter," Luna says.
Entering back into the work force as a mechanic ended up making the injuries worse.
In the meantime, the Nampa native has been trying to get the surgery he needs paid for through a workman's compensation claim.
"It's just a big waiting game and until either my workman's comp case comes through or disability, which will be temporary for me, I'm kind of just left at a stand still," he says.
Luna then went back to school with the ultimate goal of becoming a public defender. He had been getting by on financial aid but the unpredictability of having several pinched nerves and migraines has progressed to the point he had to withdraw from his classes this semester.
"I was denied [disability] twice because I could still go to school but now it's gotten so bad I can't even finish school," Luna says. "And, I'm not going to just quit school because it's really important to me."
Luna put his name on the waiting list for the Salvation Army shelter but was told it could be over a month before he gets a call back.
A GoFundMe account to help with his living expenses has been set up. To make a donation, visit http://www.gofundme.com/stdcys2k.
