- J
Margie is my younger sister.
Three years ago, at 50, Margie received a diagnosis of MS. She had been charting her health issues for two decades before the diagnosis. For those years she continued to work in the physically demanding role of Theatrical Stage Manager. Meanwhile MS was doing its irreversible damage. Now she’s no longer able to work enough to earn a living.
Help Margie Build a New Life with MS
Margie’s family and friends have created this Go Fund Me to help her meet her basic needs until disability coverage begins. To cover her basics (rent, food, medications and bills) Margie needs about $2000 a month.
This month (September 2018) I am helping Margie to apply for disability. It is not uncommon to wait 2 years to get through the process of applying for Social Security disability, including the review and appeals process. During this application period she can earn no more than $1000 a month in order to qualify.
How You Can Help
The $24,000 appeal covers the shortfall for two years of her basic expenses. During the two year wait for disability to begin donations will help cover the costs of Margie’s daily life: rent, insurance, groceries, keeping gas in the car, medication and doctor co-pays. Your help will greatly reduce the stress and challenges she’s been navigating for the past 3+ years.
Stress aggravates MS conditions. Working as a caregiver was exhausting for her. She often didn’t get enough time to really rest. She needs to be constantly aware of her balance to avoid falls, which are more likely when she’s fatigued. She’s prone to dehydration and heat stroke. It’s hard for her to maintain her weight, and she struggles against weight loss.
More About Margie
Those who know her know that Margie wants purpose in her life. No matter what the job, her focus has been on helping others – whether supporting them in their craft or mentoring, as in her role as a stage manager, or more recently as a companion and care giver to elderly clients. Increasingly, she’s the one who needs support, yet it’s hard for her to accept being the one in need.
For Margie, MS symptoms are progressive. She doesn’t have periods of remission. Margie needs to focus on building strength through physical therapy and improving her health overall through conventional and alternative healing modalities. As she says, she wants to find out what “wellness” means to her. She wants to keep walking and staying engaged; she wants to keep contributing to the well-being of others.
Once disability coverage begins she can also start receiving her pension. Then we can help her find a sunny apartment without stairs (she lives on the second floor of a walk up now). We can help her build a network of support in her neighborhood. She can focus on improving her energy and cognitive capacities so she’s better able to cope with future challenges.
Margie’s progress is measured in small increments, and we claim every victory we can. She trained for four months to walk a mile for Walk MS Philadelphia in May (the volunteers cheer her on in the photo of her reaching the half mile point). She felt uplifted and inspired to have that goal and motivation, and we shared our support by walking along side her.
Thank you
Thank you for your donation and generosity to Margie’s Go Fund Me. Your gift gives Margie some much-needed peace of mind about her health and safety. We will keep you updated on her progress.
Three years ago, at 50, Margie received a diagnosis of MS. She had been charting her health issues for two decades before the diagnosis. For those years she continued to work in the physically demanding role of Theatrical Stage Manager. Meanwhile MS was doing its irreversible damage. Now she’s no longer able to work enough to earn a living.
Help Margie Build a New Life with MS
Margie’s family and friends have created this Go Fund Me to help her meet her basic needs until disability coverage begins. To cover her basics (rent, food, medications and bills) Margie needs about $2000 a month.
This month (September 2018) I am helping Margie to apply for disability. It is not uncommon to wait 2 years to get through the process of applying for Social Security disability, including the review and appeals process. During this application period she can earn no more than $1000 a month in order to qualify.
How You Can Help
The $24,000 appeal covers the shortfall for two years of her basic expenses. During the two year wait for disability to begin donations will help cover the costs of Margie’s daily life: rent, insurance, groceries, keeping gas in the car, medication and doctor co-pays. Your help will greatly reduce the stress and challenges she’s been navigating for the past 3+ years.
Stress aggravates MS conditions. Working as a caregiver was exhausting for her. She often didn’t get enough time to really rest. She needs to be constantly aware of her balance to avoid falls, which are more likely when she’s fatigued. She’s prone to dehydration and heat stroke. It’s hard for her to maintain her weight, and she struggles against weight loss.
More About Margie
Those who know her know that Margie wants purpose in her life. No matter what the job, her focus has been on helping others – whether supporting them in their craft or mentoring, as in her role as a stage manager, or more recently as a companion and care giver to elderly clients. Increasingly, she’s the one who needs support, yet it’s hard for her to accept being the one in need.
For Margie, MS symptoms are progressive. She doesn’t have periods of remission. Margie needs to focus on building strength through physical therapy and improving her health overall through conventional and alternative healing modalities. As she says, she wants to find out what “wellness” means to her. She wants to keep walking and staying engaged; she wants to keep contributing to the well-being of others.
Once disability coverage begins she can also start receiving her pension. Then we can help her find a sunny apartment without stairs (she lives on the second floor of a walk up now). We can help her build a network of support in her neighborhood. She can focus on improving her energy and cognitive capacities so she’s better able to cope with future challenges.
Margie’s progress is measured in small increments, and we claim every victory we can. She trained for four months to walk a mile for Walk MS Philadelphia in May (the volunteers cheer her on in the photo of her reaching the half mile point). She felt uplifted and inspired to have that goal and motivation, and we shared our support by walking along side her.
Thank you
Thank you for your donation and generosity to Margie’s Go Fund Me. Your gift gives Margie some much-needed peace of mind about her health and safety. We will keep you updated on her progress.
Organizer and beneficiary
marguerite price
Beneficiary