Hi, I'm Laura, a transgender woman, co-parent to a wonderful rescue cat named Henry (seen in pics here), and freelance writer. My mother is Triscia, who is the best mom a girl could've hoped for. My sister is Emily, who's beaten health struggles most people would buckle under and not lost her hope. And we desperately need your help.

I've been a freelance digital marketing copywriter and consultant for over 2 years now, since being caught in a mass layoff. For a time, freelancing paid the bills and then some. In the last four months, it hasn't come close. I've had to rely on credit cards and friends' charity to cover many expenses because my only remaining clients only pay at the end of each month. I'm about out of credit.

This past year has been one of the worst in my lifetime, for myself and my family (as it has been for large swathes of the world).

In July, my father died after a long bout with cancer, leaving behind my mother, me, my older sister Emily, and my trusted friend of 20+ years and former partner Elis (to whom he was like a father, all too briefly). I'm glad he's free of the pain and emotional burden but I miss the greatest man I ever knew terribly, every damn minute.

For many years, Emily's health has been besieged by her own body, with endometriosis, PCOS, debilitating gastroparesis and other serious issues. Only recently did a ray of hope come for Em in the form of a laparoscopic hysterectomy, from which she's partially recovered but also suffered from an unrelated infection that set things back a bit. Emily lives on disability and has no other income source.

My mother, who is 72, continues to reel from the grief of losing her life's love - her husband of 43 years. But the human being lawnmower that is late stage capitalism don't stop for grief. My mother receives enough in Social Security to cover rent and basic needs, but that's kinda it. With her and my father's SS together, life was doable, but his death means she only earns his payment plus a pittance death benefit. (It's cause his SS payment was larger than hers; you don't get both when your spouse dies.) All told her monthly income has dropped by 1/3, which is not always enough.

She has several thousand in credit card debt only due to funerary and car repair expenses (nothing frivolous) and is ineligible for SNAP due to "earning too much" as well as MassHealth.

As mentioned earlier, I only get paid at the beginning of a new month. I have rent and some bills covered for November because of that, but many of my other major costs hang in the balance:

IRS payment: $150

MA dept. of revenue payment: $75

Phone bill: $180 (trying to get this knocked down but it's been hard to remove my father's line from the plan)

CareCredit (so I can always afford Henry's vet visits, one of which he needs soon): $85

Health insurance: $135 (may go up a lot next year if ACA subsidies are eliminated, which could jeopardize my HRT)

Food: $250 (basing this off a typical SNAP reward for a household of one)

Unpredictable expenses: $100

I am also supposedly in default for a student loan that should've been placed into admin forbearance due to my father's death, according to the lender, but wasn't and still hasn't been due to bureaucracy. That has hit $2000 as of mid-January. (I'm not exactly asking for all that unless I'm lucky enough to reach such a threshold. But if I could pay them something it'd help.)

Moving on to some of my mom's monthly costs (minus rent, which is covered by SS payments)

Phone: $180 (trying to get this brought down, see above)

Internet/cable: $164 (trying to get this knocked down by ditching cable but they make it hard)

Credit card bills from necessary expenses (see above): $150

Car insurance: $150

Utilities: $65

Food: $300 (based on amount from SNAP she was getting for a while)

Emergency unexpected costs: $200

Though I'm capable of asking for charity, I don't like it. I really don't. I'm trying to court more clients. I'm applying to full-time jobs. I am seeing a slight uptick in freelance assignments from my primary client. But any money from them wouldn't come till early December. So in the interim I have no choice.

Living in a country whose government actively despises me is arduous beyond belief. Living here at the risk of destitution is just a slap in the face.

I'm trying not to let that, and this more direct financial difficulty, steal my joy. Discovering my true identity is the best thing that's ever happened to me. But I am frankly terrified, and operating at this level of nervousness exhausts me in my bones.

Anything you can give, I am grateful. Even if you can just share the fundraiser, that's helpful, and you still have my gratitude.

Sincerely,

Laura