Help Ceejay Wander
Donation protected
Hello, my name is Celeste Joan (aka Ceejay).
I’ve spent all of my life in pain, trying to survive in a world that does not seem built for a little person with Osteogenesis Imperfecta Type I, a rare brittle bone disease. I have broken just about every limb and all that's in between, at least once. I spent 15 years in a wheelchair believing I’d be bound to it forever.
As painful and difficult as that sounds, the most painful and difficult part has been emotional - trying my very hardest only to find more struggle. It’s as if the more I try, the more obstacles I find in my path. Its led me to the insidious belief that I wasn’t made for this world.
I have tried and continue to try to live an independent, conventional life - the 40+ hour work week, the apartment, even vocational courses to increase my hireability - but nothing I've done has been enough to keep up. Its left me drained, depressed, in debt and hopeless.
So, instead of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole and instead of doing the same thing over and over, just hoping for a different outcome, I want to listen to my heart’s calling and follow my dreams. I’ve been led to believe that someone like me is limited in what they can accomplish. To that, I say, watch me! I'll use the gifts God gave me and live on the road traveling and writing about my truly unique experience. It’s a goal I’ve dreamt of all my life, getting in the drivers seat and being in control of my life!
WHAT IS THIS FOR?
Your generous donations will be used to purchase a van that I will convert to live in and travel across America. I plan to start small and explore California before conquering the rest of the country. It's more than a means of transportation- it will be my home.
I plan on documenting my journey to show others that despite all the odds stacked against me, I'm still able to accomplish this physically and psychologically challenging journey - to break boundaries.
I want to showcase the accessibility of America - as a little person with a mobility disability, everyday life poses many obstacles invisible to able-bodied people. I hope to be able to highlight these challenges to provoke change.
Above all, I will take all the pain I have experienced and turn it into something good - by literally and figuratively taking the driver's seat. It's the most powerful symbolic action of taking control of my life and paving my own way through the conventional boundaries and obstacles.
HOW THE MONEY WILL BE SPENT: $10k+
⦁ Van (title, tax, registration), $7k+
⦁ California's low income car insurance, annual premium, $374
⦁ AAA membership, $100
⦁ and any excess will go towards an Emergency Fund and making any accommodations to the van to make it safe and habitable
From my meager ($770) monthly disability benefits, most of my monthly budget will go towards gas and whatever my vehicle may need. As for food, there are 99 cents stores that sell produce, which I plan on incorporating into a mostly smoothie diet with a few cheap drive-in meals in between. I hope to supplement my income with odd online jobs.
WHY IT MEANS SO MUCH?
Being a little person with a disability does not give you a sense of control over your life because everything is an obstacle. If you add a melody of mental illnesses, stemming from childhood abuse, ALL sense of control is gone. I've been working hard to regain that control - I've let go of the people who hurt me the most; I've been working on very slowly paying off debt by living with my awesome cousin; I've been working hard on my recovery from abuse. Still, it isn't enough... I can't even find a job to help me support this venture because employers won't hire me without my own transportation.
Above all, my own van would mean a place for me and my dogs to call our own. It's more than a mode of transportation to me, it's more than a home on wheels- it's the ultimate symbol for taking control of my life.
I understand that times are tough, so any little bit that you can spare is truly appreciated. I will continue on my end to do as much as I can to make this dream a reality, not just for me but for others who struggle through mental and physical illnesses/disabilities.
Thank you all so much for taking time out of your day to get to know about me and my journey! If you'd like to know more about Osteogenesis Imperfecta, you can visit oif.org.
I’ve spent all of my life in pain, trying to survive in a world that does not seem built for a little person with Osteogenesis Imperfecta Type I, a rare brittle bone disease. I have broken just about every limb and all that's in between, at least once. I spent 15 years in a wheelchair believing I’d be bound to it forever.
As painful and difficult as that sounds, the most painful and difficult part has been emotional - trying my very hardest only to find more struggle. It’s as if the more I try, the more obstacles I find in my path. Its led me to the insidious belief that I wasn’t made for this world.
I have tried and continue to try to live an independent, conventional life - the 40+ hour work week, the apartment, even vocational courses to increase my hireability - but nothing I've done has been enough to keep up. Its left me drained, depressed, in debt and hopeless.
So, instead of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole and instead of doing the same thing over and over, just hoping for a different outcome, I want to listen to my heart’s calling and follow my dreams. I’ve been led to believe that someone like me is limited in what they can accomplish. To that, I say, watch me! I'll use the gifts God gave me and live on the road traveling and writing about my truly unique experience. It’s a goal I’ve dreamt of all my life, getting in the drivers seat and being in control of my life!
WHAT IS THIS FOR?
Your generous donations will be used to purchase a van that I will convert to live in and travel across America. I plan to start small and explore California before conquering the rest of the country. It's more than a means of transportation- it will be my home.
I plan on documenting my journey to show others that despite all the odds stacked against me, I'm still able to accomplish this physically and psychologically challenging journey - to break boundaries.
I want to showcase the accessibility of America - as a little person with a mobility disability, everyday life poses many obstacles invisible to able-bodied people. I hope to be able to highlight these challenges to provoke change.
Above all, I will take all the pain I have experienced and turn it into something good - by literally and figuratively taking the driver's seat. It's the most powerful symbolic action of taking control of my life and paving my own way through the conventional boundaries and obstacles.
HOW THE MONEY WILL BE SPENT: $10k+
⦁ Van (title, tax, registration), $7k+
⦁ California's low income car insurance, annual premium, $374
⦁ AAA membership, $100
⦁ and any excess will go towards an Emergency Fund and making any accommodations to the van to make it safe and habitable
From my meager ($770) monthly disability benefits, most of my monthly budget will go towards gas and whatever my vehicle may need. As for food, there are 99 cents stores that sell produce, which I plan on incorporating into a mostly smoothie diet with a few cheap drive-in meals in between. I hope to supplement my income with odd online jobs.
WHY IT MEANS SO MUCH?
Being a little person with a disability does not give you a sense of control over your life because everything is an obstacle. If you add a melody of mental illnesses, stemming from childhood abuse, ALL sense of control is gone. I've been working hard to regain that control - I've let go of the people who hurt me the most; I've been working on very slowly paying off debt by living with my awesome cousin; I've been working hard on my recovery from abuse. Still, it isn't enough... I can't even find a job to help me support this venture because employers won't hire me without my own transportation.
Above all, my own van would mean a place for me and my dogs to call our own. It's more than a mode of transportation to me, it's more than a home on wheels- it's the ultimate symbol for taking control of my life.
I understand that times are tough, so any little bit that you can spare is truly appreciated. I will continue on my end to do as much as I can to make this dream a reality, not just for me but for others who struggle through mental and physical illnesses/disabilities.
Thank you all so much for taking time out of your day to get to know about me and my journey! If you'd like to know more about Osteogenesis Imperfecta, you can visit oif.org.
Organizer and beneficiary
Cee Jay
Organizer
Temecula, CA
Rosanna Medina
Beneficiary