Is a wall of text intimidating? Scroll to the bottom for the TL;DR(too long; didn't read)
So... who are you?
Hey there, I’m Kevin Bissinger. My journey has been marked by many challenges, but also by resilience and determination. I’m reaching out to you in a time of both need and hope. Today, I’m facing the biggest challenge of my life: admitting that I need help and that I can’t do this on my own.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve dedicated my life to helping others. I’ve always believed I could handle anything thrown my way. I felt like I shouldn’t be the one asking for help because I wanted to feel like I earned everything I had. Plus, I can handle it. I’m strong. I’m tough. I’m resilient. But now, I’ve reached a point where I need to acknowledge that I can’t do this by myself—it’s literally become a matter of life and death.
So what's going on, friend/stranger?
Well, it seems only fair that in asking you for help, you should know what’s going on, why I need the money, and where it’s going.
Things started to trend downward a few years ago. I had been missing 4-5 days of work every month for a while but had normalized it and not realized it was a problem. A close friend of mine named Jenn helped me out tremendously by noticing the trend and pushing me to see a doctor. Well, after a few doctors dismissed it as just GERD or IBD, my friend pushed for a colonoscopy and come to find out I have serrated polyposis and narrowly avoided dying of colon cancer. If you don’t know what that is, and I hope and pray you don’t, it means that without regular colonoscopies I have a 100% chance of getting colon cancer. I’m actually very overdue for a colonoscopy and it’s the main reason I’ve become so motivated to ask for help right now.
That’s not the end of the story though. I wish it were. In September of 2022 while helping manage a neurosurgical clinic, I learned that apparently for most of y’all, the act of sitting or standing isn’t supposed to be physically painful and exhausting after 10 seconds, and with some more pushing from friends who cared, I ended up discovering an awful bummer of a disease called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
The short explanation for that one is that my collagen production is messed up, so things like tendons and ligaments don’t work and it takes weightlifting levels of effort to move any part of my body. To top that off, my joints are absolutely shredded to the level of a 70-year-old’s over the last couple of years because there’s no internal stability and getting older is hard. It also affects how your body innervates so it’s another reason I have chronic GI pain because the nerves that are supposed to control your gut don’t really reach where they’re supposed to reach and the signals get all screwed up.
To top that off, about two months ago my extensor tendon on my right hand snapped and so my thumb doesn't work which further reduced my capacity to work efficiently in any capacity. I went to a surgeon and on that same hand my wrist is also broken, and come to find out I’ll need an expensive surgery and with bone grafts and tendon grafts and metal plates and extensive recovery time and all that fun stuff to fix these issues.
These are the issues that I am trying to get resolved so that I can return to the workforce and once again feel the pride of being a productive member of society. At the bottom of this post, you’ll find a rough breakdown of predicted expenses. I will update this as I am able to acquire more accurate information.
What does that mean?
What that means, is that it has made it impossible to work in any high stress or physically demanding job and I find myself unable to work any kind of gainful employment in spite of my best efforts over the last year because of the combination of these problems.
Before I attempted this GoFundMe, and in spite of the pain, I’ve still tried my best to work my way out of this situation—driving for Lyft being the main one, but definitely not the only one. In fact, if you have small projects or flexibly scheduled part-time work I can do then please please reach out to me directly. I have a lifetime of skills and knowledge that I desperately want to put to good use. But the reality is, my health conditions make full-time work impossible. Still, I refuse to be defined by my limitations. I am determined to contribute, to make a difference, and never stop giving back to my community.
I have even started working to get on disability but it takes a lot of time that I don’t have right now. Accessing any government funding is extremely difficult and takes a long time. I moved in with a friend who was able to help me for a while but she has also fallen on hard times. Now we are both struggling to pay rent and other bills as we are trying to get on disability and other financial assistance. She's letting me use her car for work, doctor’s appointments, and other things but we need to be able to pay for the car expenses so that I can continue to use it. Although I am struggling with chronic pain and financial uncertainty, I cling to hope and a fierce determination to overcome.
What's changed?
Recently, my living situation took an unexpected turn. My roommate has given our landlord a 30-day notice, meaning I need to be out by the 30th of the month. This sudden change is due to her own health challenges and decision to move back with her family in Oklahoma, and it has thrown me into immediate financial and housing uncertainty.
What's keeping me going?
While I have found myself spending many a night contemplating that suicide is the only recourse for someone in my situation, it is the duty and honor of serving my community, my friends, and my loved ones that keeps me going.
If you don't know, for almost 5 years now I’ve been the proud facilitator of the largest in-person support group for autistic adults in Texas. We have over 1,100 members in our meetup group who uplift and empower each other every day, not to mention the countless others who joined via word of mouth or therapist recommendations. I have done my best to help and support the community of people in my life in their times of need and now I’m hoping that by reaching out for help that I can show them and the world that it’s okay to ask for help, it’s okay to be vulnerable, and that there are people out there who care about you even when you think you’re all alone and unworthy of love and support. By donating, sharing, or offering moral support you’re not just helping me, but you’re helping me build a future filled with possibility and hope.
Together, let’s rally around each other, lift each other up, and show the world the power of community and compassion.
With heartfelt gratitude and unwavering determination,
Kevin Bissinger
\\_________________________________________//
How the money will be used:
Immediate Housing Needs:
Deposit for a new place: $500
Rent for the next month: $1,000
Monthly food expense: $250
Duration: 2 months
Total: $250 x 2 = $500
Monthly gas expense (estimated range): $300 - $500
Duration: 2 months
Total (lower end): $300 x 2 = $600
Total (upper end): $500 x 2 = $1,000
Estimated medical expenses: $0!!! Thank you parkland!!
From $2,600 to $3,000, depending on the gas expenses.
This is slightly different given how things have worked out. It was originally two months and medical expenses but because of all the chaos that happened the timetable expanded a lot so I need more runway bills-wise but direct medical expenses are covered thankfully BECAUSE of the help of the gofundme!!
TLDR:
A few years back, I started experiencing health issues. Thanks to a vigilant friend, I discovered I had serrated polyposis, a condition that puts me at high risk for colon cancer. Alongside that, I was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which affects my joints and connective tissues, making everyday tasks a struggle. Recently, a hand injury further hindered my ability to work efficiently.
These health challenges have made traditional employment impossible. Despite this, I’ve tried to work, including driving for Lyft, but it’s not sustainable. I’m also in the process of applying for disability, but the bureaucratic hurdles are daunting, and I need immediate assistance.
Living with a friend temporarily, we're both struggling financially. I'm grateful for her support, including the use of her car, but we need help covering expenses like rent and medical bills. Recently, my living situation took an unexpected turn, and I need to find a new place by the end of the month.
What keeps me going is the community I serve. I run a support group for autistic adults in Texas, where we uplift and empower each other daily. I'm determined to show that it's okay to ask for help and that together, we can make a difference.
Your support, whether through donations, sharing this message, or offering moral support, means the world to me. It's not just about me; it’s an investment in a future filled with hope and possibility.
Thank you for standing with me in this challenging time.
With love and hope,
Kevin Bissinger
Organizer
