I have been navigating two simultaneous crises for the last year: ongoing chronic health conditions and the near-total collapse of my professional field that I've spent my life working in. My health remains under active medical care since my heart attack. I have regular lab work, specialist visits, and doctor-directed next steps. We spent many months pursuing a genetic blood disorder diagnosis, but it turned out to not be the source of my health problems. I don't yet have a diagnosis for my irregular bloodwork, which means I also don't have a treatment timeline or a clear finish line. My doctors and I continue to narrow things down, one by one.

Managing an unknown chronic condition is its own particular exhaustion, and it has real, practical consequences for what work I can pursue. Jobs requiring physical labor, lifting, or extended standing are not available to me right now.

This is not my first GoFundMe, and I want to say that plainly. The health situation that a friend launched the first campaign around has lasted far longer than I expected or wanted. I'm starting fresh here because that campaign lost momentum, and the need has not.

I've spent my career at the intersection of technology and human behavior, advising organizations on responsible and ethical design. I tell you this because it matters for understanding what I'm up against: user advocacy as a field has contracted sharply. But, I am also pursuing work in many outside areas!

I want to be clear about what my job search looks like because I am not sitting still. I take every project and opportunity that I find. Rare work exists, but consistent income does not, and those are different things.

I am navigating all of this alone, without savings left, a partner, or family safety net. I live modestly, no car, and I depend on being close to public transit. When a month goes sideways, there is no fallback for bills. My cat Ludo has been my companion through the hardest of it, and keeping a roof over our heads and him fed and cared for is a part of what I'm asking for help with.

This fundraiser gives me the lead I need to get to the other side of this.

If you've given before, thank you! I carry that generosity with me everyday. If you're new here, I hope this gives you enough to understand who I am and why I'm asking. Sharing this campaign is itself a meaningful contribution!