Help Me Save My Pets & House
Donation protected
My name is Celine Chamberlin. I am 41-years-old, and live in Stayton, Oregon. I have been disabled since I was a teenager (I have inner ear disorders and other issues, and up until a couple of weeks ago, my mother (now age 72) was my caregiver.
Unfortunately, she has developed multiple health issues, including having two strokes, severe pneumonia, and a probable return of lung cancer. She is no longer able to care for me, and that means the income she earned as my caregiver has ended. I am having to find a care home for my mother, figure out how to get it paid for, and figure out how to deal with her heartbreak over not being able to come again. She always told me ending up in a care home was the last thing she ever wanted, and now it's her reality.
This was very sudden, and despite our best efforts, it has left me in a very difficult position. The house I live in is under a mortgage, with a little over $72,000 left to pay. The monthly fee is $811. I earn $823 a month in Social Security Disability. Clearly, that isn't enough to live on. The mortgage payment is low, and I can't imagine I would find another place to live for less. And, of course, that doesn't include other household expenses.
I also have five cats and two dogs (most are pictured above), all of whom were rescues in some fashion, and are mostly older pets (dogs are both nine, and the cats are 4, 11, 14, 15, and 16). Any change in their lives would be upsetting to them and to me. They are my family, and I can't be without them.
As it stands, I will have to try to sell the house very quickly, and hope I can get a decent enough price out of it to find somewhere else to live. This would have to happen within a month or two, and there is so much to be done before then. I guess I started this campaign as a means of buying a bit of time. The amount on here is a random one, honestly. I am not well, and without a caregiver I can do very little for myself. Locals who see me around town don't know that it often takes me days to feel well enough to go to the grocery store, and it takes me days to recover from the effort. It was a big deal last night that I was able to do a load of dishes. They had been sitting for over a week because I simply couldn't do them.
I have siblings who want to help, but they work and have children, so their time is very limited. I cannot realistically get this house in saleable condition and sold in so short a time. It simply isn't possible.
I know it's unrealistic to expect enough money to pay for the house and other expenses, but if I could raise enough to make a few payments and pay the basic utilities, rent a big garage dumpster, etc., it would mean the world to me. As I type this, I am shaking so hard, I can barely press the buttons. I feel like my world is ending, and I'm having a hard time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
I don't know what to do, and I'm utterly terrified. One of my dogs is trying to comfort me right now because I'm crying, and those eyes of his are breaking my heart.
For the record, I am unmarried and have no children, and there is no one in my family capable of taking me in. I will be canceling anything I don't absolutely need -- cable will be the first to go, and I'm looking for more ways of cutting down as much as possible. We lived pretty simply before, so that will not be easy. I don't have much to sell, but I will be doing that, as well.
I will provide any documentation I can -- bills, income, etc. Thank you for taking the time to read this.... I know it's long, and certainly not unique. It makes me feel like a heel to even post this, when I know so many others out there are facing difficult and often worse circumstances. I just don't know where else to turn.
Unfortunately, she has developed multiple health issues, including having two strokes, severe pneumonia, and a probable return of lung cancer. She is no longer able to care for me, and that means the income she earned as my caregiver has ended. I am having to find a care home for my mother, figure out how to get it paid for, and figure out how to deal with her heartbreak over not being able to come again. She always told me ending up in a care home was the last thing she ever wanted, and now it's her reality.
This was very sudden, and despite our best efforts, it has left me in a very difficult position. The house I live in is under a mortgage, with a little over $72,000 left to pay. The monthly fee is $811. I earn $823 a month in Social Security Disability. Clearly, that isn't enough to live on. The mortgage payment is low, and I can't imagine I would find another place to live for less. And, of course, that doesn't include other household expenses.
I also have five cats and two dogs (most are pictured above), all of whom were rescues in some fashion, and are mostly older pets (dogs are both nine, and the cats are 4, 11, 14, 15, and 16). Any change in their lives would be upsetting to them and to me. They are my family, and I can't be without them.
As it stands, I will have to try to sell the house very quickly, and hope I can get a decent enough price out of it to find somewhere else to live. This would have to happen within a month or two, and there is so much to be done before then. I guess I started this campaign as a means of buying a bit of time. The amount on here is a random one, honestly. I am not well, and without a caregiver I can do very little for myself. Locals who see me around town don't know that it often takes me days to feel well enough to go to the grocery store, and it takes me days to recover from the effort. It was a big deal last night that I was able to do a load of dishes. They had been sitting for over a week because I simply couldn't do them.
I have siblings who want to help, but they work and have children, so their time is very limited. I cannot realistically get this house in saleable condition and sold in so short a time. It simply isn't possible.
I know it's unrealistic to expect enough money to pay for the house and other expenses, but if I could raise enough to make a few payments and pay the basic utilities, rent a big garage dumpster, etc., it would mean the world to me. As I type this, I am shaking so hard, I can barely press the buttons. I feel like my world is ending, and I'm having a hard time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
I don't know what to do, and I'm utterly terrified. One of my dogs is trying to comfort me right now because I'm crying, and those eyes of his are breaking my heart.
For the record, I am unmarried and have no children, and there is no one in my family capable of taking me in. I will be canceling anything I don't absolutely need -- cable will be the first to go, and I'm looking for more ways of cutting down as much as possible. We lived pretty simply before, so that will not be easy. I don't have much to sell, but I will be doing that, as well.
I will provide any documentation I can -- bills, income, etc. Thank you for taking the time to read this.... I know it's long, and certainly not unique. It makes me feel like a heel to even post this, when I know so many others out there are facing difficult and often worse circumstances. I just don't know where else to turn.
Organizer
Celine Chamberlin
Organizer
Stayton, OR
