Hello everyone. My name is Sam Kirkland. I live in the middle of nowhere in southern Utah. With the government shutdown, my family's SNAP benefits have been stopped. On top of that, I was in a car accident on October 2nd, 2025, that caused complications. I've been having debilitating headaches/migraines since and recently learned I have Cerebellar Tonsillar Ectopia on top of having Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, an injured knee, and bulged disks in my lower back. This is a condition where the cerebellar tonsils, which are small lobes of tissue at the bottom of the cerebellum, extend abnormally below the foramen magnum (the opening at the base of the skull) into the upper cervical spinal canal, which has caused me to be unable to work more than one day a week.

My husband has seizures that keep him from being able to drive. He's been working with a neurologist to get help so he can hopefully one day get a license while he is actively working to get his GED.

Then there are my children, two of whom are autistic and have food texture issues where they will only eat certain things or throw a fit if we don't have it. My middle child has sadly been taking after me with my immune system and has constant ear infections, even with tubes. All I want is to be able to afford food for my kids and to be able to keep up with bills.