Hey there ladies, gentlemen, and non-binary jesters! I wish so many of us didn’t have to parade around asking for help with basic life needs. What can we do when life is behind paywalls, subscriptions, and terms of service? Alas... here’s my sad story (trigger warning).

My name is Chelsey.

I'm an artsy trans girl living in Minnesota. I absolutely love calling this place home. I feel so much safer here. I was able to flee the South late last year due to so much help from the community and allies. I wouldn’t be here without the love and support of everyone who made this happen. Words can’t express my gratitude, thank you all so much. Xoxo

Unfortunately, no one knew exactly how bad 2026 was gonna get… yet here we are comrades. As happy as I am to be here in a sanctuary state where my healthcare needs are met, my life has taken many unlikely turns this year, like so, so many of us these days. Now that I have MN health insurance and a healthcare team that is actually helping me, we are discovering a lot of medical issues I had to ignore most of my life just to survive.

My doctors and I are finding out that I was being over-medicated from the “healthcare” I received in the South. They put me on a bunch of HIV meds despite always testing negative every time I took an STD test (you should do that regularly btw). They said it was for “protection” in the community. They even managed to over-prescribe me HRT and didn’t communicate my estrogen levels were far too high (for three years my estrogen avg. PG was 550-650… for context, estrogen PG levels should be no more than 300).

Living in the South for so long, I also caught COVID many times despite staying on top of my vaccinations. So due to poor medical care, rough living arrangements, and I’m ashamed to say… substance abuse (I’m sober now over 1 year), I’m finding that my body is having problems I can no longer just ignore. My pain levels are getting worse. It’s harder for me these past few months to move around like I used to or even workout like I did. I am seeing a physical therapist weekly now, making progress and learning how to manage my pain and what my body can tolerate.

We have started testing me for EDS, POTS, and fibromyalgia. Also seeing a therapist to get a PTSD diagnosis for the trauma I experienced in my childhood. My mom did her best but we are both victims of DV, and being a trans girl born in the wrong body as a child in the 90’s. Made the men in my life more “aggressive” in their “tough love” approach with me. That said, no one should ever have to experience the flavor of psychological trauma I had to endure (sometimes just for sitting down to pee or wearing my mom’s shoes).

I tend not to share my trauma or my body pains I have always experienced. I have a tendency to just isolate it from myself and others. If anything, this is a testament to Minnesota healthcare and how making healthcare accessible to all at no cost is critical to a functioning society. I know, I know I’m just a hot disabled leftist trans girl. An art major dropout with a septum piercing and colored hair. That conservatives and Fox… “news” tells you is why you can’t afford groceries or gas. But I’ll save the soapbox for social media.

I have made GoFundMe’s in the past whenever I was in a pinch or wanted to try and get my art off the ground. Unfortunately, life right now is just all of us trying to survive. I’m grateful for the joy when it finds us or when we create it. I have always been an artsy girl just head in the clouds trying to live, love, find joy, and make others happy. Probably why I enjoyed working in breweries, kitchens, and cafes so much.

Nowadays, as my disabilities are getting worse and being a beautiful trans baddie in 2026. It’s harder for me to find traditional work, especially in this “economy.” I normally just DoorDash as my main source of income. Would love to start pet sitting again but that takes time in a new town.

Trying to find other ways to make money online. Even looking into offering tarot readings at local cafes and breweries in town. I’m doing my best to remain positive and hopeful. Being disabled and trans is teaching me how to be resilient. That said we all need your help now more than ever.

So ultimately, this GoFundMe is to help me with rent, bills, food, etc. I also have to get some basic work done on my car. Really need to get everything registered on my car and get MN plates like asap.

I’m about 3 months behind on rent this year so far. Fortunately, I do live with another trans girl who’s amazing and works so hard. She has rent covered but I do need to pay her back. I’m happy to say all my medical expenses are covered to the best of my knowledge.

Well, that’s my sad story. I know all of us are struggling. I’m sure there are many more who are in more dire need right now. That said, I need help, and even just sharing this GoFundMe can make all the difference in the world.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read my story. We are stronger together. Not sure what tomorrow will bring but we have to keep hope alive and when we feel hopeless we lean on our resilience and our communities.️‍