Donate to MaryAnn's Fight for Health and Stability

Hi, my name is MaryAnn. Many of you know me as Mav.

For those who have known me for a long time, it is not a surprise that my life is like an ongoing telenovela, except there very rarely seems to be the silver lining happy ending that can come with fiction.

This past year, I have been struggling deeply with my health. I have had over 2 dozen emergency room visits at $200 a visit, dozens of blood tests, 6 CAT scans, 4 MRIs, and 3 X-rays to try and determine what is wrong with me. Through a colonoscopy, we found I have ulcerative colitis. Through countless trips to the ER, we have found cysts on my ovaries, a cyst on my kidney, a swollen liver, consistently high white blood cell counts, arthritis, and degenerating ligaments in both my knees since I tore my ACL in 2021. This past December, I had tubes put in my ears after contracting the cold virus that my body overreacted to as an infection settled in both of my ears, and I lost the majority of my hearing in Nov 2024.

This month, on the 11th, I will be getting my gallbladder taken out to see if the removal of the organ assists with my chronic pain and stomach issues. I will be using 4 days of PTO as I just started a new job and cannot afford to lose more time unpaid. My consulting job has been demolished by the policies halting federal funding, and I went from working an extra 60 hours a month to none, losing all of the additional income that supported my family and my health. I've tried supplementing with freelance writing and art, but this only adds up to $30 - $50 a month.

While I have been dealing with all that, I was working four jobs and trying to complete my PhD, including at a non-profit I ended up resigning from after experiencing mistreatment, belittling, and disrespect following a change in my productivity after I lost my hearing. The organization was quick to judge, complain, and tell my coworkers not to trust me, but was not quick to provide the support and improvement plan I was promised. The loss of this job has impacted me greatly as I took a dramatic pay cut and the loss of important health benefits.

I recognize I am privileged even to have PTO, to have my mother, who is also severely ill with cancer and is recovering from an accident, and Amaya's father, who has also been receiving extensive medical treatment, to support me in taking care of her, and the familial and friend support that has gotten me this far through their financial assistance.

I have reached a point where being super productive, pretending not to be a disabled worker, is costing me even more of my health. It is not sustainable for me to work while recovering from surgery, while being immunocompromised, and having inflammation issues that will likely prolong the healing process.

Supporting me through this GoFundMe will help pay the over $5000 I owe the local medical center for my ER visits and last surgery, and hopefully buy me some time off from my consulting jobs where I don't get paid leave. Realistically, I should be taking two weeks off post-surgery, but that's not financially feasible in this economy. If we reach the goal, I may extend it post-surgery to reflect whatever out-of-pocket costs occur for my gallbladder removal.

Many of you know I am a huge advocate for mutual aid. I give in queer mutual aid groups across three cities whenever I get the chance, house folks who are homeless, and try my best to support those in my community who need the most help as a part of living my values. However, despite never judging others who need help, I always feel ashamed asking for it myself.

But I do need help.

Given the state of our society, I have evidence I can show of my fees owed to the hospital and to my insurance, the pre-op plan for my surgery and scheduled surgery date, and more.