Darby Needs New Digs

Hey all. I’m absolutely devastated and embarrassed to have to turn to you all for help again, but thanks to a combination of unfortunate circumstances, bad luck, and a total lack of governmental support, I’m in a real bad place.

So, a bit of backstory. Those who know the origin story already feel free to skip ahead. I’m Darby and I’m a 33 year old queer disabled artist living in the UK. I’ve been living with Multiple Sclerosis for the past 10 years and PTSD for the past 18. Last year, I left a 10 year long abusive marriage with almost nothing to my name and have spent the last year attempting to build up a business. It’s been difficult, but I really was getting some here. Then... well, things got a bit awful.

Late last month I had a bad relapse with my Multiple Sclerosis after a few weeks of feeling pretty awful. It came to a head after I fell and couldn’t get up from the kitchen floor. I was taken into hospital and have since had extensive MRI scans. Since then, I’ve been falling over multiple times a day with almost no balance and extreme weakness and fatigue in my legs.

My current room was very graciously offered to me by a friend and, while it’s been an absolute lifeline, it’s no longer safe for me to stay here as my room is on the top floor of a three story house, and no adaptions can be made to make things safer or more accessible. I’m currently falling over multiple times a day and with everything I need day to day on different floors, it’s only a matter of time before one of the falls is a real bad one.

Social housing in the area has been a total dead end with all housing associations I’ve contacted no longer even accepting people into their wait lists. Which leaves me with one option, private renting.

But, since lockdown, COVID, and my various health problems have hit my monthly income hard, and with my health since the relapse, I don’t have the cash to get myself started. Based on my monthly income before the lockdowns and my relapse, I’m confident I can get to a place where I can make it work. But I don’t have the luxury of waiting until I build up to that, as every day I’m in danger of falling so badly I end up in hospital again, and if I’m hospitalised again, then I will have no cash coming in at all.

I’ll also likely be in and out of hospital with various tests and appointments for the time being as they get a handle on my new normal and figure out treatment going forward, so chances to work will be limited for the next short while and since my disability benefits were stopped mid pandemic (thanks DWP) I currently have no other money coming in.

So, here I am asking for help. The target I’ve given would help get me the deposit and bills for my first two months in an accessible, one bedroom flat/apartment, giving me the breathing room to safely start to recover and work things out. If, by some miracle, I would be able to get anything above that, the extra money would go on furniture as right now I’d be moving in with only a desk, a shelving unit, and an office chair.

And that’s where I’m at. I’m sorry to have to ask for help again like this. Anyone who knows me knows that asking for money is just slightly above thumbscrews and drinking battery acid on the list of things I don’t wanna do. But I really don’t know what else to do. Any help you can give would mean the absolute world. Thank you for reading and even if all you can do is give this a share around social media, that would mean SO much.

And you know the drill. Hydrate. Self care. Be kind. Much love, always