I Lost Everything — Then Built Something Useful

💔The Fall & the Fight Back

At 15, I lost my father to cancer.

At 19, over Memorial Day weekend right after my sophomore year of college, I went hiking with a friend in a Pennsylvania state park. I tried a rope swing, fell, and fractured my skull. I developed a subdural hematoma and spent seven days in a coma, waking up completely paralyzed on my left side. It wasn’t permanent, but the road to recovery was brutal. Every day, I pushed myself—from wheelchair to walker, and from walker to walking again. I forced my body to fight, even when it resisted.

Today, I'm proud of how far I've come. But the truth is, I'll never be 100%. My left side is still weaker, slower, less coordinated. And that’s okay — I keep moving forward.

🌀The Hurricane That Took Everything

In 2011, I moved to Fort Myers Beach, Florida, met amazing people, and was loving life. But on September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian struck, destroying my home and everything I owned.

The hurricane was massive, and I lost two friends who tried to ride out the storm on the beach. Not only did I lose my home and friends—I also lost hope and hit rock bottom.

🛡️The Cyberattack That Wouldn't End

At a time when I was already at rock bottom, I finally received compensation from FEMA. But almost immediately afterward, I was hacked — and that’s when everything spiraled out of control.

The hackers cloned my SIM card, breached my phone, and infiltrated my computer’s BIOS — so deeply that traditional virus scans couldn’t detect a thing. The signs were subtle at first: slower boot times, strange apps appearing, and unexplained spikes in data usage.

In desperation, I went through eight phones trying to escape it. I factory-reset devices countless times, flashed new firmware on my Android phones, reset passwords, used VPNs and firewalls, installed endpoint security — but no matter what I did, the hackers were still there. Eventually I discovered that my name, email, birthdate, passwords, and more had been leaked on dark web hacking forums. I was the victim of identity theft just after losing everything I owned. They hijacked multiple Facebook accounts, took over several Google accounts, and forced me to close my bank account three separate times.

I felt isolated, disoriented, and hopeless. But somehow, I kept going.

In 2023, I relocated to Pennsylvania with no home, no resources, and no clear path forward. But I did have one thing: relentless determination to make something work online.

I couldn't control the storm or the hack. I could control what I built next.

🤖Starting Over with AI

I became obsessed with AI — not the hype, but the real potential. I had no team. No budget. Just an idea… and ChatGPT.

🔎The Problem I Decided to Solve

Amazon is where we all shop — but have you ever tried to find the exact product you need? The filters barely work. You can't sort by Prime-only + coupon + price range + rating + color + discount. You can't even easily find Lightning Deals or brand-specific sales without digging through pages of junk.

I kept thinking: Why is it so hard to search Amazon properly?

So I built the solution.

🛠️What I Built (No Money, No Team)

DealShopperPro.com is the tool I wish existed. It's a free Amazon deal-finder that lets anyone filter products with precision:

• Prime-eligible only — skip third‑party shipping delays
• Lightning Deals under $25 — stretch a tight budget
• Brand / size / rating / coupon combos — find exactly what you need

The site uses Amazon's public affiliate structure, meaning I earn a small commission if someone buys through it — but it costs users nothing. No logins. No popups. No gimmicks. Just powerful search. And it works — even on mobile.

💻How AI Made It Possible

This wasn't built in Silicon Valley. I didn't raise VC money. I sat down, opened ChatGPT, and asked questions like:

• "How do I create a search URL for Amazon's affiliate program?"
• "How do I make an accordion-style UI with JavaScript filters?"
• "How do I structure this for SEO and mobile usability?"

And together, we built it.

💡Lessons in Resilience

• Start small; stack wins — Progress compounds over time
• Control what you can; document the rest — Focus your energy wisely
• Ask for help; ship before perfect — Done is better than perfect

📣Why I'm Sharing This Now

Because I know I'm not the only one who has started from nothing. I know what it's like to be overlooked. To feel invisible. To have talent and ideas, but no platform.

Yes, I created a tool that helps people save money. But I also created a symbol of what's possible with no budget, no safety net, and no quit in you.

If this story gave you energy, share it with someone who needs it today. And if you're telling stories like this, I'd love to hear yours.