INTRODUCING DONNY

This request is for Donald (Donny) Harper Mangum. He is 41 and lives in NC. He is severely disabled and needs help with attaining goals of housing, procuring assistive tools and devices, and clothing.

MEDICAL DIAGNOSES AND DISORDERS

Donny was diagnosed with encephalopathy in 2017. His condition is from a viral infection in the part of the brain that controls speech and voluntary motor functions. The result was permanent and irreversible neurological and muscoskeletal disorders:

- Aphasia (permanent loss of speech from brain damage)

- Contractured left arm (dominant arm, range of motion is from 0 to 90° )

- Contractured hands (all 10 fingers have no dexterity in each finger, hand is a locked fist; unable to write, type, or sign)

- Peripheral neuropathy (causes excruciating pain in the contractured limb that lasts for hours, often requiring a hospital visit for medical treatment)

OTHER DIAGNOSES AND IMPACT

- karposi sarcoma (oral cancer in 2017, remission with radiation therapy, high potential for recurrence)

* impact: radiation therapy led to loss of teeth and inability to swallow. He was on a feeding tube for months, but eventually regained ability to eat solid foods

- CMV retinitis (degenerative eye disease that causes blindness in people with compromised immune systems, daily medication needed to stop progression)

* impact: significant visual impairment and is legally blind without an assistive device.

LIMITED ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE AND SOCIALIZE

Donny's communication ability has profoundly and permanently affected his life. The most devastating has been the loss of talking and gesturing with arms and hands. He cannot open either hand from a closed fist or use his fingers due to loss of dexterity. His primary form of communication a tablet using a text-to-talk app, but it comes with difficulty. His social life is virtually nonexistent and involves his caregiver and one or two others.

CAREGIVER NECESSITY

The Disability "Blue Book" lists the qualifying conditions for disability. The requirement is two. Donny has several. Unfortunately, he cannot live independently and needs full-time caregiver assistance for the most basic daily activity. Without this, he would be in a nursing facility. To improve his quality of life, Donny needs assistive devices. They are needed to help him handle minor tasks independently and to reduce caregiver workload.

HOMELESS, FOOD STAMPS, AND DISABILITY CHECK

Donny is technically homeless, but resides in motels with his caregiver (disability recipient) who shares rooming costs. Motel living is unstable and requires moving to prevent stays from exceeding 30 consecutive days. Most motels require a deposit and average $400 to $500 per week. A single disability check is not sufficient to maintain housing for a full month. The goal is for secure housing. Requirements of income level, credit score, and up-front fees such as first and last month's rent and security deposits make housing an unrealistic venture. Its common to submit multiple applications, but fees average $50 each make applying cost prohibitive. The chances of application denial is extremely high and the funds used would be sunk. The endeavor would be too risky to pursue or afford. The funds not used to cover 30 consecutive days at a motel is used for food and other necessities. O

CHALLENGES OF DAILY LIFE

The ultimate goal is getting Donny all the support needed that enables him to independently perform simple and ordinary daily tasks. His disability has changed these into challenging and complicated feats that must involve the aid of another. They can be overwhelming and feel impossible to accomplish. Here are some of the simple tasks and activities:

- Communicating (assistive device dependent ie. tablet)

- Standing up (difficulty standing from a seated position, can't use arms to push off, often requires assistance to stand fully erect)

- Walking (equilibrium challenges makes him a high fall risk)

- Food Prepping (requires assistance with food preparation and serving; food needs to be finely chopped)

- Feeding (can self feed simple foods with utensils, but often needs to fed)

- Eating (has no teeth, has difficulty swallowing, and chokes easily)

- Bathing (requires full assistance for showering or bathing)

- Dressing (requires assistance, needs clothes and shoes with velcro)

- Wiping (post defecation, requires assistance, need assistive device)

- Rx Management (nine medications with varying times and dosages)

ASSISTIVE DEVICES AND ACCESSIBILITY TOOLS

This listing are aids to help Donny perform daily tasks.

- overbed table with wheels

- large screen display tablet

- large letter keyboard

- adjustable laptop stand

- toilet seat risers

- bidet toilet + attachments

- toilet aids extendable wipes

- adjustable shower chair

- shower grab bars

- shower systems + faucets

- adaptive eating utensils

- cup grips for limited dexterity

- drink dispensers w/ spigot

- sit-to-stand electric lifts

- portable video magnifier

- assistive door knob

- motion detection lights

- touchless trashcan

- large button remote

- exercise equipment

- velcro shoes or slip-in sandals (no strings)

- clothes without buttons

This is not an exhaustive list of items needed; however, many of the types of devices and tools are included. Final selections would be made after consultation with a medical professional to ensure the best item at the right price is chosen along with training on how to use it effectively and safely.

RESPONSIBLE SPENDING

Donated fund expenditures comes with fiduciary accountability that should reflected in all transaction decisions and records keeping. Whether small or large, it has no bearing on doing the right thing.

PLANNING FOR SUCCESS

This starts with having goals and a plan for attainment. Securing stable housing, seeking medical specialists input on the latest and most effective assistive devices and their proper use, and getting advice from a finance professional on making long-term plans are definite action items to pursue.

Please DONATE TO DONNY. Lets help simplify this complicated existence. We can make him handi-capable and happy.

All the information above is accurate and can be verified. Thank you.