Main fundraiser photo

Help Fi Be Chem-Free

Donation protected
I need your support to acquire a chemical-free home and pay for legal fees following a workplace incident.

In 2012 I was pursuing careers in the arts and education. I had recorded and released several albums of my own songs, sold my first novella to a pro-level publisher, and was preparing to start an MFA program that would enable me to take my writing and teaching career to the next level.

Then a chemical exposure at my day job left me with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS). I became unable to work and have lost my home and savings while fighting for compensation and learning to manage these chronic and incurable conditions. The legal fees for the compensation battle have totalled over $35,000 so far and continue to add up. In addition to that expense, I now need special transportation and housing to accommodate my health conditions. I’ve had to buy a car and a walker to get to medical appointments and take care of necessities. CFS keeps me housebound much of the time, but new materials, carpets, paint, particleboard, melamine, and other substances found in most living environments worsen my MCS symptoms; consequently, I’ve had to move 9 times in the past 4 years. I now rent a basement apartment and must keep my windows closed to avoid cleaning chemicals, perfumes, cigarette smoke, exhaust, and paint, laundry and other fumes from neighbours. Living this way is stressful, harmful, and ultimately, unsustainable.

MCS and CFS are severely debilitating and wreak havoc on people’s lives, but I am determined to rebuild mine. Those who know me know that I’m up for a challenge. I’ve always prided myself on being independent, but since all this began I’ve learned that I can’t do this alone. I need your help. In order to continue pursuing compensation and acquire appropriate housing, I need to raise at least $50,000. That’s a big ask, I know. But if everyone donates something—anything—and passes this information on to others, I believe it can happen. 

We all need a safe place where we can breathe. Because of a workplace incident, I have lost that. Your donation will help provide me with resources to continue pursuing compensation, a secure and healthy haven in a chemically-saturated world, and a foundation upon which I can rebuild and live the best life possible with CFS and MCS, and eventually help others with these conditions.

Although I think of myself as a writer, I find it near impossible to express how much your support means to me. I give you whole bunches of thanks, a standing (chem-free! :-) invitation to visit my future home, and my deepest gratitude, Fiona

Organizer

Fiona Lehn
Organizer
Vancouver, BC

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.