Son has cancer - Suddenly lost job - Would Ch.7 make sense for me? Would we lose our personal possessions?

Hi everyone,

I could really use some advice on whether Chapter 7 bankruptcy might be right for my family. Here’s the background:

Last Christmas night , my son almost died in front of me, going into complete respiratory failure and thankfully came back to life after multiple attempts by fire department/paramedics, was intubated, it was a living nightmare. I haven’t been the same since and am now getting support for my own mental health. Just a few months after that, he was diagnosed with eye cancer, had to have his eye removed, and is currently going through chemo. He often has to get blood transfusions and it’s just been such an extremely hard year. I’ve lost 50 pounds from stress, I don’t look healthy.

In total, we have four children. My twin boys have special needs, one of whom has cancer. We also have a 6-year-old and a baby. (We weren’t planning to have another child since my wife had cancer in 2020, and we were told we could not have more children.)

Due to our family’s health complexities, my job allowed me to set my own schedule and work away from people to minimize the risk of bringing illnesses home to my son, who’s undergoing chemo. I worked at this job for nearly seven years, through all the major health obstacles my family has faced, including my wife’s and son’s cancers, my son’s brain surgeries, and other challenges. Despite everything, I performed well and was recognized by my boss, local community, and even local politicians.

Unfortunately, my boss and I had a major argument, and he fired me. After almost 7 years of being an employee, one argument and it ended with “you’re f-ing fired”

We have around $50,000 in credit card debt, and I’m now wondering if Chapter 7 bankruptcy might be appropriate for us. My main questions are:

1.  Is this the type of situation where Chapter 7 bankruptcy would make sense?
2.  What happens to personal items like guitars and TVs if we file? Some of these have sentimental value, and I’d prefer my family doesn’t lose them.

We’re located in Pennsylvania if that makes any difference. Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you! 🙏