Help Us Fight Injustice Toward the Disabled

Childhood trauma, mental illness, disabilities, limited access to resources, loss of support, homelessness...

Millions of people are suffering the aforementioned at this very moment.

My story is rooted in major childhood traumas. My 6 siblings and I struggled with the far-reaching effects of trauma throughout our adult years. Survivors very often fight in silence-- stepping out to fight a larger, related issue is often too overwhelming. I am the eldest child, and it was my duty to lead and heal.

I spent more time with my youngest brother, Marc, through the most troubling years of being trafficked in foster homes. Marc's mind couldn't handle the trauma and he fell headlong into paranoid schizophrenia at age 20. He survived trauma, had a few years of love and peace, then he began a 15-year vicious cycle of reliving his trauma every single day. He paces, he talks, he's angry, he's broken, but it occurs in his mind, only evident through the constant chatter. He has no history of violence.

Needless to say, when most people hear him talk and see him pace, it can obviously be disturbing to them. Many people call law enforcement, which leads to an inappropriate arrest, mistreatment, and injury, and adds to his cycles of trauma. When he returns home, he's even more troubled and talks for longer periods. This has led to neighbors' complaints and that has pushed my mother and brother out of several homes.

Resources become scarce. Friends and family gradually disappear. The public is intolerant and poorly informed about mental illness. Adequate assistance is notoriously difficult to obtain. Marc needs 24/7 care, leaving little choice for my mother but to leave an on-site job and close her small business. Homelessness occurs, and the most vicious cycle begins. Food is an issue, but water for a homeless person who is pushed out of even the worst shelters can cost hundreds per month for minimal survival.

And so my mother and brother have existed in these conditions for years at a time. My mother won't leave my brother's side. It fell to me to provide through most of the struggle.

On Dec 17, 2022, my brother was arrested again. He is mentally incompetent, yet he is pushed through the system as a person who has the capacity to commit a crime. His crime was first disturbing the peace, then it was an issue of a failure to appear (whilst he was homeless and had no address). While in custody, an altercation occurred, leaving my brother with a broken nose, a head injury, large bruises, and lacerations on his body by law enforcement officers. He is frail and at risk in an institution that is not equipped to handle his condition. The human rights violations continue while he remains incarcerated instead of being transferred to an appropriate mental health facility with trauma-informed professionals.

Thus, his current situation is part of this fundraiser. He will require legal representation and a full forensic evaluation.

I have given financially until there was nothing left to give and no support in sight. I have helped so many people through their struggles. I have failed, too. My autistic little sister died in August 2021 in part due to her mental disability and isolation, leaving her without an advocate in the hospital, and she passed away alone. I tried. My mother tried. Afterward, I was on fire. Now, as I fight for my disabled little brother, I am blazing with the will to end these cycles once and for all. My efforts are real, consistent, and always reaching for the next level. But friends, I can't do it alone anymore.

If you made it this far, then the fire blazes in your heart, as well. I'm asking for your support. I will provide plans, updates, videos, and my involvement with advocacy groups and the media as it occurs. Your support could be in the form of expert advice, services, or information. It could be a financial contribution. It could be simply sharing my story with whoever will listen. As for what Bleed the Heart means to me: it is doing far more than what is expected simply because it is right, it is just, and saves lives. Integrity. Fighting for those who cannot.

THE AMOUNT TO BE RAISED:

1. We need $5300 retainer for an advocate to assist throughout the case.

2. We need $2400 for a private psychological evaluation; otherwise, Marc waits for months in jail where his rights are continuously violated.

3. We need $7500 retainer for an attorney to represent this case as more than what the system would have it, which is an unjust criminal case. We need to represent Marc as a mentally disabled person and fight to change legislation and create a precedent for everyone in the future.

4. I (Saia) travel between states to fight for my brother and every person brutalized by authorities. One trip for me has a minimum of $320 for 2 days, and that is me sleeping in my car and bathing at a travel center. I will need 7-day stays in the near future- $854 for fuel and lodging only, or $600 for fuel, sleeping in my car, bathing at travel centers, and food. I won't be able to work as I pursue justice for all people in the US and save my little brother. Someone has to do it. I'm willing and ready!!

PLEASE SUPPORT MY FIGHT!

Thank you in advance.

Yours truly,

Saia Vissira Benning