Help Anysia with Monthly Expenses

I could give you a long story with all the details, but in cases like this, I think it’s better to get to the point.

I am doing this GoFundMe to help pay for my basic monthly expenses (rent, utilities, phone, basic supplies, dog food) while I continue recovering from Long COVID and wait for an SSDI determination on my application (which could take 6 months to a year). My unemployment runs out this week with no extensions possible and I have, so far, been unable to find a job offering the flexibility I need while working through the myriad of symptoms that is Long COVID.

For those who don’t know:

In November 2021 I was hospitalized with respiratory failure from COVID pneumonia. It turned out I also had fungal, and bacterial pneumonia.

I spent 22 days in ICU and 5 days in the hospital wing before I was released on December 1, 2021.

I returned briefly to work at the end of December, in a position that was fully remote and allowed me to work whenever I could and rest whenever I needed to. Unfortunately, the position shifted to more traditional hours and more physical demands causing a significant impact on my health and setting me back further than I even realized. That job ended on May 31, 2022, because the ongoing impact of COVID on the finances meant that they could not support the position any longer.

Since then, I’ve been diagnosed with Long COVID. For those who don’t know, Long COVID is a dysregulation of the central nervous system that creates an imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and impacts pretty much every system in the body. Symptoms can include extreme fatigue, brain fog, difficulty finding words, making decisions, etc; high blood pressure, rapid heart rate, muscle weakness, difficulty breathing, loss of coordination between the heart and lungs, difficulty recovering after exercise, digestive issues, and more.

The recovery has been long and challenging and on many days I struggle with even basic stuff like taking out the garbage. I can do it, but it tanks my oxygen, spikes my heart rate, and often requires hours to recover.

I am still looking into other resources for assistance and trying to find out if I qualify for emergency funding through SSDI or SSI. I am also still looking diligently for something I can do work-wise that won’t cause another setback in my recovery. So far, I have not found something with the flexibility I need. (I’ve applied for over 400 positions since June 1st and have had a whopping 4 interviews, even with a “nationwide staffing shortage”.)

I’m not living an extravagant lifestyle (I don’t even have a car), and I’m not trying to fund a vacation or support unnecessary frivolities. I’m not sitting idly and waiting for someone else to support me. I am genuinely doing everything I am capable of, it just hasn’t turned out to not be enough…yet.

The amount I put in the “goal” field would cover my expenses (rent, utilities, phone, basic household needs, and dog food) for the next 12 months (March through December). If something comes through before then so I am able to pay these bills on my own, I will shut down this GoFundMe. If SSDI comes through with the emergency funding I’m seeking, I will shut it down as well.

I appreciate your support and consideration. I realize these are difficult times for everyone and the fact that you are even here reading this, means a lot to me.

Sincerely,

Anysia Derora