Help Through Hard Times with a PS4
Donation protected
Hey, it's Allison! So as many of you know, I've had a very hard time these past few years. Things just keep seeming to go wrong, almost all of which is out of my control, and the main thing (besides friends, loved ones, and my wonderful girlfriend) that has kept me sane is video games. I'm sure most of you know all of this, but here's a bit about my life these last few years, and why I’m asking for financial help. Warning - it will be long.
First off, I deal with a multitude of very serious medical issues that forced me to drop out of college and leave my unable to work. The main ones are that I have a pituitary tumor that causing the first stages of Acromegaly, Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (which causes salt wasting and other various hormonal issues), and the biggest of all, extremely severe Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. The EDS is my main problem, and is what leaves me unable to work. It is a genetic connective tissue disorder, and causes such things as severe scarring, bleeding, and bruising, easy skin tears, frequent infections, very slow healing, EXTREMELY frequent joint dislocations (I have dislocated almost every joint in my body multiple times), and just a weak constitution in general. About 3 months ago I had surgery to correct the dislocations of my right kneecap (they reset my kneecap back into place as it had been permanently sitting in the wrong spot, cleaned up the cartilage, and transplanted a cadaver ligament into my knee to hold the kneecap in place), and it has been a very long, difficult recovery. I had a very severe infection that caused necrosis in my leg, and it was very difficult to find adequate care here in Missoula. The infection eventually healed, fortunately, but unfortunately, the surgery as been labeled as unsuccessful. It has not stopped the kneecap dislocations or even made them less frequent, and it is healing at an extremely, abnormally slow rate, and it is not known that it will even heal completely at all. Because of this, I am forced to have another surgery, a total knee replacement, as soon as possible.
On top of all of this, there have been many other issues in my life. I was raped 2 years ago, and lost the subsequent trial this fall. This has causes a lot of damage to my mental health, and has caused my depression to come back full force. I’m doing much better there though lately though, thankfully. But there are a lot of financial issues in my life as well. As I am unable to work, I am currently waiting on receiving Social Security Disability. We know that I will eventually receive it, but it’s just a matter of waiting until it is finally approved, as it’s a very tedious process. But because of my lack of income and absent father, I am forced to rely 100% financially on my mother, which is very difficult, as she does not make much money. As a result of this, we have found out that we are forced to sell our house, and will have to move either back to Kansas City, MO (the ideal) or to Ft Worth, Texas, to live with my grandmother. Neither of us want to leave Missoula currently, but as this town is extremely expensive and has very few well paying jobs, we have no choice but to leave. Our house was just put on the market, and we will be leaving the moment my mother gets a job elsewhere.
What does all of this have to do with a Playstation 4, you ask? Well, due to my disability, there is not much I am capable of doing. I can’t drive, I can’t ride a bike, and I can’t walk very far, which leaves me alone in my house the majority of the time. This, in conjunction with everything else that has happened, has taken a massive toll on my mental health. Video games are the main thing I have to do most days, as there’s only so much reading, TV watching, and internet surfing you can do at a time. I see video games as my main escape in life - they give me an opportunity to do things that I can’t do in reality, even things as simple as walking down the street and running, to the more extreme things I could never even dream of like parkour. In video games, I’m not limited by my weak body. Not to mention that they are more interactive than books and television, allowing me to feel like I’m actually accomplishing something while sitting in the same chair day after day. They keep my mind sharp and focused. For the last 3 months especially, when my girlfriend was out of the country and I haven’t even been able to get out of my chair to use the bathroom for weeks at a time, video games were what kept me going through it all. They were a reason to get up in the morning, a reason to keep pushing on. I know that sounds silly, but for me, there aren’t many things I can do. I have to take pleasure in the simple things in life.
Because of our financial struggles, there is absolutely no way I can afford a new PS4. I am going to be selling the majority of my stuff this summer to help pay for moving expenses, which as most of you know, is very difficult for me. (I may or may not have a slight hoarding problem, so this will probably be a good thing, but none the less, it is very hard.) My favorite series of all time is Assassin’s Creed, and the new game will be coming out this fall exclusively for the PS4. Also, just in general, very soon they will altogether stop making new games for the PS3, and switch completely to the next gen consoles. I would like to be able to play new games, as I’ve already played the majority I would like to on the PS3. I don’t want anyone to feel obligated in any way to donate, as there are obviously bigger things out there than a girl who wants a silly video game console. But if you’d be willing to give just a few dollars, I would be eternally grateful. Thank you all!
First off, I deal with a multitude of very serious medical issues that forced me to drop out of college and leave my unable to work. The main ones are that I have a pituitary tumor that causing the first stages of Acromegaly, Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (which causes salt wasting and other various hormonal issues), and the biggest of all, extremely severe Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. The EDS is my main problem, and is what leaves me unable to work. It is a genetic connective tissue disorder, and causes such things as severe scarring, bleeding, and bruising, easy skin tears, frequent infections, very slow healing, EXTREMELY frequent joint dislocations (I have dislocated almost every joint in my body multiple times), and just a weak constitution in general. About 3 months ago I had surgery to correct the dislocations of my right kneecap (they reset my kneecap back into place as it had been permanently sitting in the wrong spot, cleaned up the cartilage, and transplanted a cadaver ligament into my knee to hold the kneecap in place), and it has been a very long, difficult recovery. I had a very severe infection that caused necrosis in my leg, and it was very difficult to find adequate care here in Missoula. The infection eventually healed, fortunately, but unfortunately, the surgery as been labeled as unsuccessful. It has not stopped the kneecap dislocations or even made them less frequent, and it is healing at an extremely, abnormally slow rate, and it is not known that it will even heal completely at all. Because of this, I am forced to have another surgery, a total knee replacement, as soon as possible.
On top of all of this, there have been many other issues in my life. I was raped 2 years ago, and lost the subsequent trial this fall. This has causes a lot of damage to my mental health, and has caused my depression to come back full force. I’m doing much better there though lately though, thankfully. But there are a lot of financial issues in my life as well. As I am unable to work, I am currently waiting on receiving Social Security Disability. We know that I will eventually receive it, but it’s just a matter of waiting until it is finally approved, as it’s a very tedious process. But because of my lack of income and absent father, I am forced to rely 100% financially on my mother, which is very difficult, as she does not make much money. As a result of this, we have found out that we are forced to sell our house, and will have to move either back to Kansas City, MO (the ideal) or to Ft Worth, Texas, to live with my grandmother. Neither of us want to leave Missoula currently, but as this town is extremely expensive and has very few well paying jobs, we have no choice but to leave. Our house was just put on the market, and we will be leaving the moment my mother gets a job elsewhere.
What does all of this have to do with a Playstation 4, you ask? Well, due to my disability, there is not much I am capable of doing. I can’t drive, I can’t ride a bike, and I can’t walk very far, which leaves me alone in my house the majority of the time. This, in conjunction with everything else that has happened, has taken a massive toll on my mental health. Video games are the main thing I have to do most days, as there’s only so much reading, TV watching, and internet surfing you can do at a time. I see video games as my main escape in life - they give me an opportunity to do things that I can’t do in reality, even things as simple as walking down the street and running, to the more extreme things I could never even dream of like parkour. In video games, I’m not limited by my weak body. Not to mention that they are more interactive than books and television, allowing me to feel like I’m actually accomplishing something while sitting in the same chair day after day. They keep my mind sharp and focused. For the last 3 months especially, when my girlfriend was out of the country and I haven’t even been able to get out of my chair to use the bathroom for weeks at a time, video games were what kept me going through it all. They were a reason to get up in the morning, a reason to keep pushing on. I know that sounds silly, but for me, there aren’t many things I can do. I have to take pleasure in the simple things in life.
Because of our financial struggles, there is absolutely no way I can afford a new PS4. I am going to be selling the majority of my stuff this summer to help pay for moving expenses, which as most of you know, is very difficult for me. (I may or may not have a slight hoarding problem, so this will probably be a good thing, but none the less, it is very hard.) My favorite series of all time is Assassin’s Creed, and the new game will be coming out this fall exclusively for the PS4. Also, just in general, very soon they will altogether stop making new games for the PS3, and switch completely to the next gen consoles. I would like to be able to play new games, as I’ve already played the majority I would like to on the PS3. I don’t want anyone to feel obligated in any way to donate, as there are obviously bigger things out there than a girl who wants a silly video game console. But if you’d be willing to give just a few dollars, I would be eternally grateful. Thank you all!
Organizer
Allison Quinn
Organizer
Missoula, MT
