Chris Witter's Battle: Education and Health

My name is Chris Witter and I’m in need of dire help. I am a 25-year-old who is trying to manage attending school and working full time; however, paying for my orientation, classes, and living expenses has been nearly impossible due to back-to-back long-term hospitalizations as a result of my battle with sickle cell; the sickness has caused my mobility to decrease and causes me to be in pain on a day-to-day basis. Now I am being forced to leave my current living situation with my mother.

Because of my sickle cell, I often have to miss work which negatively impacts my pay because I am an hourly employee, so every hospitalization results in an extreme loss of income. Out of desperation, last month I had to borrow money from friends because I was too ill to work for the majority of the month and made very little money. I could not afford to pay rent, my standard living expenses or the orientation fees for the MBA program at Georgia Southern. Thanks to the grace of my friends, I was able to pay for rent last month and to defer the payment for orientation ($400 due by noon today and $400 due 7/12/24). Because of my current hospitalization, I have only worked about 16 hours out of this pay period, so I do not have any of the funds I need. On top of all of that, I am being kicked out of my mother’s home due to her not wanting me to keep my ESA cat in the house; she said if I can’t stay without them, I should leave.

Please know that I am making this go fund me page as a last resort. I hate that I cannot figure this on my own, but I am currently too sick to work (I am still in the hospital) and the only way I can go back to work is if i go against my doctors orders and discharge myself, but with the amount of pain I am currently in, I do not think I would be able to successfully or adequately do my job. I am worried that I may lose my job due to the amount and frequency of my hospitalizations.

I want to use my degree so that I can start a nonprofit in order to help support and empower people with neurodegenerative, autoimmune diseases and blood disorders. So, if at all possible, I humbly ask that you please donate anything you can to my page so that I can afford orientation, classes for this semester, other living and medical expenses. If you cannot donate, I completely understand as I know everyone is dealing with hard times in their own lives; if you could please share this post with your community so that I can increase my visibility that would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and for all of your help and support!

With love,

Chris