Frontline worker medically recovering from trauma

My name is Avi (venmo: @Avi-Yocheved if that works better ) You may know me from my Harm Reduction advocacy, policy reform and education work, in person or on online platforms as a content creator. 

Three months ago, one of my closest companions on this planet, Joe Cordo, died suddenly of an unexpected brain hemmorhage. In the subsequent three months, I began experiencing worsening chronic health symptoms: tachycardia, persistent whole-system panic attacks, constant fatigue, vertigo, episodes of catatonia, autoimmune reactions, headaches, and stomach issues. After persistently getting checked out, I found a specialist who was able to run some labs, and knowing the context of the sudden traumatic loss I had endured, was able to interpret the result of those labs in that context- I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue, which had become severe to the point where I experienced a potentially life threatenjng cardiac complication known as Broken Heart Syndrome. Thankfully I was able to be stabilized, but I was told my body was hanging on to stress chemicals longer than normal, and the physical side effects of stress from that level of shock/trauma/grief was affecting multiple systems in my body. I was told I have to prioritize rest, counseling and recuperation over everything else. That I have to listen to my body, and call out of work when I have a flairup of symptoms. Pushing myself could cause things to get back to that life threatening place of crisis instead of starting to heal.

The problem with that of course, is financial stability. My job recently cut hours; I've had to all but beg for hours - out of one side of my mouth. Now, out of the other side of my mouth I find myself having to call out, sometimes on the very day I was finally offered hours. It's a horrible and stressful catch-22 during a time I'm told to minimize stress for my physical survival and healing.

For me, this has been the "one unexpected event" that has taken me from living paycheck to paycheck but stable, to under significant financial stress. Stress which my body physically cannot bear right now while recovering from adrenal fatigue.

Especially when, right before my symptoms spiraled downhill and I received this diagnosis, I basically drained my small savings to ensure I could make it to the East Coast for Joe's family memorial. The plain tickets for that trip, even with a voucher and waiting for the most opportune prices, were very costly. I wasn't willing to miss my Best Friend's funeral, and thought I could work overtime to replenish my savings, and now I'm in a position where I can barely pick up enough hours to eat and pay my rent.

Who even am I, and what is my work / what is my life about? Well, I am a university student who has also been working in frontline harm reduction/public health services (syringe exchange, HIV prevention/testing/treatment, overdose prevention education, naloxone distribution, peer outreach & counseling), and on drug policy reform campaigns, for the past several years. Joe and I did a lot of this work together, and were working on turning it into our paid careers. I still am. I currently have to work in the restaurant industry for supplemental income to pay my monthly bills - graduate in the fall with my degree in Family and Human Services, it will become more realistic for me to secure a role that pays me a salary or living wage, at a dedicated Harm Reduction program or at least a social services institution where I can center Harm Reduction values. Things on the public policy and advocacy side are also definitely on my list to apply for. For now, many of my roles have been unpaid internships, volunteering with grassroots organizations, and the occasional paid contract work that hasn't yet become permanent.

Point being, I am a full time student, doing my passion work wherever and whenever I can in order to build my career, AND I still have to pick up hours at a restaurant for my survival. I was able to balance and manage this well, until Joe died, and I have developed this traumagenic physical illness that I am now having to recover from. My small savings are also drained from trying to attend his funeral, and I had a plan to replenish them by working extra until this medical situation happened. In a few months time I will have graduated, and my lease will be up. I have to have $$ then to move apartments, and will be starting to work in Portland. Again, I had normal plans to save up for that, but now am in a position where I can barely pay day to day expenses much less save for something. 

All donations will be spent on survival expenses. Food, rent, utilities, phone, internet, uncovered portion of needed medications, moving expenses, anything else unforeseen and survival related. If I get to a point where I've financially and medically stabilized, I will stop the fundraiser. If I have to extend it to $5,000 or a next goal when it comes closer to moving time, I will, but hope to not have to. 

So I am in a place where I'm needing to fundraise/ask for mutual aid. Any donations help. Spare change helps. For any donations more than spare change (more than 10 or 20 dollars), I'm happy to have people reach out for commissions- I am a harm reduction educator, including online on platforms like Tiktok (and am planning to expand to YouTube). If you feel strongly about the work that I do, and there is a place in your community (workplace, school, community event) where a naloxone training or presentation on a topic within harm reduction or drug policy reform might be needed/helpful, I can help you with that! If you need me to help you put together materials to advocate for policy change, speak at an event or social gathering, or there is something specific you'd like me to research and present about on my social media, I am more than happy to do so, to pay it forward/back for people who donate to help me survive.

I am in the process of joining the Tiktok creator fund and growing my channel, but that process is slow and only earns cents per week at first. This GoFundMe is not something I want to have to do forever, but it's something I find myself having to do right now.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

**if GoFundMe doesn't work for you, find me at @Avi-Yocheved on venmo, $AvigayilMae or $harmreductionavi on cashapp, or [email redacted] OR paypal.me/avigayil on PayPal.