Hello, reader. Thank you for taking the time to learn about the situation for which I'm raising funds.

If you know me, you may know I tend to be very longwinded, but I'll try to keep this brief:

In short: I am disabled. I was recieving payments from my long term disability insurance company, who made decisions about the validity of my claim on a monthly basis, based on the documentation provided by my therapist. Around May 20, 2022 the company wrongfully terminated my benefits, effective May 1. As such, I have not had an income since the end of April of this year.

I had advised the company that my therapist would be out of town for June and part of July, and I believe they deliberately delayed the decision to terminate my benefits until that time in an attempt to disrupt my ability to appeal the decision, because an appeal requires further documentation from my therapist.

So far, I have gotten by with a very small 401k that I was able to cash out, and the generous help of my mother. She is also disabled and on a limited income, so in addition to my own costs, I need to pay her back for the help she's given me as soon as I'm able.

As of today, 7/11/2022, I have not been able to reach my therapist since she started her time off at the beginning of June, and therefore have not yet been able to submit my appeal paperwork. Even when that is submitted, I am sure the insurance company will take several months to make a decision about my appeal.

In the meantime, I have applied for what assistance programs I am qualified for, as well as Social Security Disability (SSD). While I now have healthcare coverage again via Medicaid, and SNAP benefits to purchase groceries, I have no income for my other monthly bills, including my rent, and do not anticipate a decision will be made regarding my SSD case any time soon, as it is a lengthy process.

So, I am making this mutual aid request to help close the gap between today and the date a decision is made either on my appeal, my SSD case, or both.

For further context about how I came to be disabled and am no longer able to work:

I have suffered from chronic pain for over a decade, and depression, anxiety, and ADHD since childhood. Managing these conditions has always been difficult, and I was often only able to manage them enough to hold a job at a significant detriment to the rest of my life.

By the time I started working at MDHHS in child welfare in September of 2020, these conditions had become almost impossible to manage, and they only became worse working in such a stressful environment.

On October 25, 2021, I was taking a new colleague with me to visit one of the children on my caseload when our vehicle was struck by a reckless driver. The car was totaled, and while I was fortunate to step away without any major, visible physical injuries, I did develop PTSD, which has persisted and had a negative effect on my already existing mental health disorders, and I believe has significantly exacerbated the fatigue and exhaustion concomitant with my existing chronic pain.

I am currently working with my primary care physician to find a diagnosis for my chronic pain and fatigue, which until now had largely been written off in those general terms, but which I believe may very well be related to an autoimmune disorder such as fibromyalgia. I've also been experiencing severe pain specifically in my hands and wrists, and we are also working toward a diagnosis for that.

I attempted to continue working after the accident because I did not want to suddenly leave the families I served in the hands of another (already overworked) worker who did not know their cases, but after about a month of crying nearly every day and panic attacks every time I had to get in a car (to go to the office, to facilitate visitation, to visit my kiddos in their placements, and to visit my parents at their homes), the situation became untenable and I preapred to go on a medical leave.

My leave was approved based on documentation from my PCP and my therapist, and I began what I did not realize at the time would become a long, repetitive fight with the long term disability company to recieve the payments I was owed.

While I am eligible for payments for up to 24 months under the policy I paid into, my benefits were termianted after just 4.5. This was done despite the fact that none of the documentation provided by my therapist had substantially changed, as my condition has not substantially changed.

And so, all of that has led to this moment, where I humbly request any monetary assistance you are able/willing to offer, so that I and my pets can remain housed and fed while I continue to fight. Fight for the benefits I am owed, fight to improve my mental health, and fight for a proper diagnosis so that my chronic health concerns can be addressed appropriately and hopefully one day return to the workforce.

Thank you again, for your time, your consideration, and your assistance. Love and solidarity ❤️