Hafiz. Federal Officer. Disabled & Fighting to Survive-Help

Salaam / Hello — my name is Mohammad Chaudhry.

I’m a 31-year-old Hafiz of the Quran, a former GS-14 federal officer, and now a disabled patient recovering from a spinal injury. I’m asking for your help to get through this painful, uncertain time in my life.

From Quranic Leadership to Youth Service

Between 2001–2009, I memorized the entire Quran, becoming the first Hafiz at the Academy of Saut-ul-Furqan (Teaneck, NJ). I led Taraweeh for 10+ years at:

• Iqra Darul Ehsan (Suffern, NY)

• Masjid Al-Qadir (Spring Valley, NY)

• Islamic Center of Rockland (Valley Cottage, NY)

In many Ramadans, I led two masjids each night and taught Sunday school at ICR for nearly a decade. I’ve been blessed to receive multiple letters of recommendation for youth work, Ramadan leadership, and mentoring.

Federal Officer — Until Injury

From Feb 2020 to Jan 2022, I served in federal government roles as a GS-14, working as Chief of Applications under the 0343 Management Analyst series. But in 2021, I suffered a debilitating lumbar injury while in service. Despite spinal injections, nerve blocks, and pain medications, I was ultimately forced to resign.

What I didn’t know at the time:

My 18 months of creditable federal service and on-duty injury made me eligible for FERS disability retirement — but no one informed me. By the time I learned, the application window for OPM had passed.

Unlike NJ or NY agencies that require 5–10 years of service for disability pensions, federal employees only need 18 months. It was a missed opportunity that still haunts me.

Benefits Lost After Marriage

In 2023, I tried to rebuild. I:

• Got married in July

• Re-enrolled in Rutgers’ Executive MBA

• Took on a short-term consulting role

But managing school, work, and chronic pain became overwhelming. My health declined again, and I had to withdraw from the EMBA and stop working.

Instead of being a blessing, marriage became a bureaucratic penalty:

• Wedding gifts were flagged as income

• My spouse was counted as an able-bodied caregiver or capable of working— regardless of reality

This triggered the loss of my Medicaid, food stamps, and other aid.

⚠ Now I Have No Income or Support

Though my Medicaid was approved from March to August 2025, I barely received any usable support before it was paused.

I now have:

• No income

• No Medicaid

• No food benefits

My wife gave up her career as a teacher and project manager at Rockland BOCES (2015–2023) to care for me full-time, unpaid. Together, we’ve burned through our savings.

Both of our families have cut us off completely — hers, for marrying someone disabled; mine, because I could no longer bring in income or status. We haven’t heard from them since.

Even our former local masjids above are ashamed to share my story.

I once led Tarawih and taught Sunday school — now many of those same students avoid me. I don’t blame them, but it’s deeply painful.

Multiple Health Issues — But I'm Staying Focused

In addition to my spinal injury, I’ve also been seeing specialists for liver and GI complications. While these issues are serious, my primary obstacle to working again remains the physical disability and mobility limitations. I’ve chosen not to focus on the other conditions here due to space limits and because they’re not the main reason I’m unable to earn — but I am happy to share more for transparency as I figure out how to upload or organize those records.

Highly Qualified — But Financially Drained by Disability

I hold a Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers, and I was pursuing an Executive MBA at Rutgers Business School before my health collapsed. I’m also:

• Approved by PMI to pursue PMP, PgMP, and PfMP certifications

• Board-eligible for the ASCP-DLM (Diplomate in Laboratory Management)

• Planning to sit for the TOGAF enterprise architecture exam

Before I became disabled, I served as a C-level executive in healthcare and government for several years. But I had to liquidate my entire federal TSP (401k) and all of my personal savings to survive the early surgeries, procedures, and long recovery.

Now I’ve reached the point where there’s nothing left to sell or cash out — and I need help just to stay afloat.

❓ Why Not Just Work a Minimum Wage Job?

Some may wonder, “Why not just take any job to get by?” The truth is: I would — if I physically could.

But at 31 years old, despite degrees, federal service, and executive roles, I’ve found it’s hard to be taken seriously — too young to seem like I’ve “earned” struggle, and too qualified for jobs that don’t accommodate disabilities.

Most low-wage or hourly jobs also assume full mobility. When’s the last time you saw a minimum wage worker allowed to sit in a chair?

With a spinal injury, frequent medical appointments, and pain that flares from prolonged standing or movement, these jobs are simply not survivable for me.

Some office-based roles provide reasonable accommodations or compressed schedules — but lower-paying roles often don’t. Even when ADA and FMLA policies exist, strict scheduling or lack of PTO makes them nearly impossible to use without risking termination.

This isn’t about pride. It’s about survival. I want to return to work in a role where I can contribute meaningfully — using my mind and experience to compensate for what my body can no longer do. But right now, I need help just to make it through.

Still Fighting for a Future

Despite everything, I’m preparing to apply to graduate school again by Fall 2026, including:

• Rutgers Doctorate in Business Administration

• Rutgers Doctorate in Healthcare Administration

• Rutgers Doctorate in Health Informatics

• Rutgers Executive MPA

• Columbia MBA

If accepted, my proposed research centers on this question:

"How do public funding allocations and community spending patterns shape resilience strategies and growth outcomes for small and minority-owned businesses in urban areas?"

Through this lens, I aim to:

• Develop evidence-based models to help SMEs adapt to policy shifts

• Identify ways to retain public dollars within underserved communities

• Provide strategic tools for SME owners to align with public-sector priorities (e.g., procurement, infrastructure, grants)

If I can stabilize my health and secure benefits, I hope to return to federal service at the same GS-14 level — to once again serve the public with meaning and dignity.

I’m Asking for $30,000 To Help Me Survive the Year

• Cover 12 months of rent, groceries, transportation, and essential bills

• Afford out-of-pocket medical costs, including specialist visits, prescriptions, and procedures, while my Medicaid is paused

• Stay afloat as I reapply for Medicaid, SNAP, SSI/SSDI, and other supports

• Maintain health, housing, and dignity during this medically and financially fragile time

This is a one-year survival fund to help me stay stable as I recover, rebuild, and reenter public service.

Even $5 or a share makes a difference.

Thank you for standing with me.

– Mohammad Chaudhry