- R
I'm honestly not sure what to put here, but my name is Alaira (al-AIR-ah) and I'm in need of some help. I don't think I need to explain on this site the state of the American healthcare system (or lack thereof). So here's my situation:
I'm losing my ability to walk. I'm in a wheelchair now and due to flareups of symptoms involving intense pain, paralysis and seizures I've been unable to work for the past two years. I'm supported by my husband but we cannot hope to afford the treatment I need. I don't qualify for disability services because I don't have a diagnosis. I don't have a diagnosis because we can't afford the specialists and tests necessary to get me one. So we're stuck, and my symptoms are progressing. We don't know what's killing me but it's getting worse and worse where I'm struggling to take care of myself in my own home now. I've been denied healthcare coverage by work, state, and federal avenues, always marginalized.
So the plan...
I'm going to try my luck elsewhere. If the USA won't help me, then perhaps another country will. My husband and I plan to immigrate to Australia where he will work in order to qualify me as a dependent for healthcare. Due to me not working for the past couple years, we can hardly afford to get ourselves there let alone set things up on the other end, so that's where y'all come in. We need help immigrating to a country that'll actually help me live. If we could get enough here to pay for a month or so to get settled and buy my husband some breathing room to set things up for us, that would be so massively helpful. We're leaving our entire lives behind to try and keep me alive. Please help us make sure this plan works because this is truly our last hope.
Thank you for reading.
~ Alaira
~ Frequently Asked Questions ~
What specifically will your GoFundMe be paying for?
- Moving expenses and medical supplies. I'm giving up a lot of medical supplies in particular to afford moving abroad. It's just not cost effective to ship them, so the fundraiser will be helping me reacquire those supplies in my new home such as a medical grade mattress and a paralysis assist station I have in my room. I have a channel thread in my Discord server where I'm keeping people up to date on what is being purchased with the money as well as updates on my journey. If we get close to the goal, the fundraiser will also help us secure a wheelchair-friendly residence that will make my overall quality of life much better initially.
Is there a deadline? When do you need the money by?
- There is a soft deadline: April 27th. That's when I'll be leaving and the money raised will be setting the tone for how difficult or smooth that move will be. I'll keep the GFM open for a few months afterwards or until the goal is met because every little bit helps and will keep being helpful until we're settled with our feet under us again.
Do you get all of the money when we send it or only at specific goals?
- I receive direct deposits from the fundraiser daily, so typically about 24 hours after your donation it will be in my account and helping us on our way.
How much is the minimum to get you to Australia?
- The plane tickets have been purchased. Thank you so much! There's still plenty of other expenses that will make a huge difference for this move, but the minimum (plane tickets) has been met.
What exactly is your medical condition that requires such a move?
- This answer could easily run long, but the succinct version is that I am suffering a progressive loss of motor control, including regular flareups of symptoms where I lose all mobility from the neck down (paralysis). At my best, I am now wheelchair-bound and only able to take a few steps when necessary. I also suffer chronic pain that is quite extreme at times. Finally, I have seizures that were rare but are now infrequent. My GP recommended a neurologist to pursue a diagnosis, but I have been denied assistance in affording the tests, so I'm locked by poverty from knowing what precisely is happening to me. What I do know is that my symptoms have been getting worse and worsening faster lately. A year and a half ago, I could no longer hold a job due to the symptoms and used a cane to get around. A year ago I started using crutches. A few months ago I started using a wheelchair.
Is Go Fund Me the best way to support you?
- Yes. Compared to supporting me on Patreon or PayPal, Go Fund Me takes the smallest percentage and gets the money to me fastest.
Where will you be living initially once you get to Australia?
- My husband and I are entering into a weekly lease agreement to stay with someone in Melbourne which is where I'll be looking for more permanent residence from while he job hunts. This is the advisable route our immigration lawyers have recommended. Think of it like couch surfing with a contract to protect you from getting kicked out. Please excuse my vagueness, but I'm not comfortable offering a more specific answer to this question.
Are there midrange goals for the Go Fund Me?
- Yes. $5k will see me getting a wheelchair-friendly residence promptly. $8k will afford all of my medical supplies I'm leaving behind replaced. $15k will afford me private healthcare and expedited treatment. All that said, every dollar counts. Thank you~
Is there anything I can do that isn't money-related to help?
- Yes. Spread the word and share my GoFundMe link on your socials and servers. The more people who have eyes on my page the more help I'll get.
Images captured by me in VRChat. Please allow me some anonymity, so I hope images of my fursona will do. I am an aspiring avatar creator and have been using VR for the last couple of years to escape my disability and explore my self-expression as a furry <3
The last image is artwork that I made to help spread the word.
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