Many of you know Annie T., a talented photographer, committed parent, social justice advocate, and a dear friend to many. Some of you also know Annie as August. They are not using their last name and ask that you don't either, so this does not appear in internet searches. You can find their website here Annie T

 

Annie has recently experienced a healthcare crisis that affects their short-term and possibly long-term eyesight in one eye. To repair the damage is costly. At this time, they are paying for treatment from their savings as their health insurance does not cover this serious issue and, as a freelancer, they have no disability insurance or coverage. That is why urgent action and support are needed to ensure that Annie will be able to resume working as soon as possible. 

We have come together to ask for your help. With the proper treatment, they hope they can return to work sometime in April.

 

On January 19th, they underwent a routine surgical procedure on their left eye to treat a condition called EBMD. The procedure is proven to be effective for at least 95% of patients. However, following the surgery, Annie was shocked to discover that not only was the original issue not resolved, their vision had also worsened from -1.5 to - 2.75. Since the surgery on January 19, 2022, Annie has spent countless hours consulting various eye specialists. All have confirmed that the surgeon did the wrong procedure on their eye.

 

Although the damage is significant, if Annie continues to seek the medical attention they need, the odds of full recovery will increase dramatically.

 

Annie has already missed six weeks of work and anticipates another 4-6 weeks off while working to recover their vision. So far, Annie has spent upwards of $5,000 on this crisis. Between consultations with eye specialists, various prescription glasses, prescription eye drops that cost $800 a month, contact lenses, etcetera, the costs are adding up fast. For best results, doctors have suggested they will need surgery at an unknown cost and vision therapy at a cost of $1,000 per month. Contact lenses they will need can cost up to 4000 for each eye.

 

This situation has taken a significant toll on Annie. Not being able to see correctly has dramatically affected their quality of life and ability to make a living. This would be a challenging situation for anyone to find themselves in, especially for someone who makes their living through photography.

 

Annie’s passion and advocacy have led them to create work like Transcending Self, a photo project which documents transgender and gender-expansive youth. Inspired by what they witnessed working on this project, Annie has decided to return to graduate school and train as a therapist as well. They hope to build on their emotional capacity as a photographer while also providing mental health support to members of the LGBTQ+ community and others. The graduate school application process is also being affected by this situation.

 

We hope to raise $25,000 to help get them through May 2022. Any contribution is greatly appreciated and will allow Annie to feel supported during this challenging ordeal.

 

COSTS anticipated for three months

Loss of income due to not working $12,000

Eye therapy $3,000

Eye drops, prescription and regular $3,000

Glasses and contacts $7,000

Dr. appointments/consultations $4,000

 

Future potential expenses

Possible surgeries TBD

Dr. appointments/consultations $5,000

 

We have come together to help,

Signed,
Annie’s Friends

Danielle 
Daniella 
Erin
Jen
Maggie
Mary
Miles
and others