Hi, I'm GrandmaHoodie, or Christa if you'd rather, and I finally have to beg for help.

In July/August of 2025, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, yet again. This would be the 4th go 'round with cancer for me, but this time, I am uninsured. I'm not able to work enough hours to "qualify" for employer subsidized health insurance, but I make too much at said work to qualify for medicaid or discounted insurance through the exchange. Having had cancer previously, my premiums would be unaffordable and I would have to choose between paying my rent or being covered. I've selfishly chosen rent.

Now here is where it gets dicey. I've managed to keep up with the payments for the many visits, biopsies, labs, and surgeries, but only by putting about $11,000 of it on my credit cards. This does not include the $14,000 for radiation. The radiation bills have now started pouring in, but I am now down to my last $1200 of credit and have nothing left in savings or checking to cover the minimum payments I have on the cards, already. To make matters even worse, I couldn't get to work today to make money because:

MY CAR WAS STOLEN.

Yep. I came outside to head to work tonight and walked around the block 3 times looking for my car, even though I KNEW where I had parked it. I called the police to see if it was towed with no luck. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that it's on ME to ask all of the local businesses if they saw anything, and I walked around asking them all about cameras and whatnot, to no avail. It was parked in a legal spot in front of a 24 hour 7 Eleven and somehow, no one saw a thing.

Frankly, I'm exhausted. I'd write more about everything I'm doing to find my car, raise money for daily radiation treatments, and just trying to keep myself hustling to make ends meet, but the radiation is starting to really take it's toll. Friday night, I simply collapsed after a grueling 9 hour shift at work and had to take off Saturday from exhaustion. A shift I could not afford to give up, but my body is finally saying stop, you can't keep doing this: Radiation 5 Days a week, M-F. Work 5 Days a Week, W-Su. Not one day off to recover from everything, for the last 5 weeks (aside from Thanksgiving) and it all built up into a 20 hour sleep where I could only get up to take out and feed the dogs. Altogether, from Friday night after I collapsed, I was awake from about 11:30-2:30 Saturday to watch a movie and eat, but then I was right back out until around 11:30am today, Sunday. I got up to take out the pups and go to the bathroom, but the rest was a much needed rest.

Anyhow, I felt the need to throw that in there because I really have been hustling my ever living tookus off trying to keep my head above water, but it's time I ask for help. All the hustling is starting to take a serious toll on my health.

I know there are so many of us struggling right now, and I SINCERELY hate to ask when there are so many people struggling, but the car being stolen just pushed me right over. That and I got a notification from my landlord Friday night that they have no record of my rent being paid in July, even though it was taken out of my account. My plan for tomorrow (Monday) was to go to the bank and figure out exactly WHERE that money went if it didn't go to the landlord. Another straw on my already tired back. When it rains, it pours.

So here I am, begging. And I'm so embarrassed and so sorry to have to even ask. I really thought I had this. I thought, "If I really just put my head down and work as hard as possible, I can pull this off. I'll be in horrible debt, but that's future me's problem." Except it isn't, because those $100 minimum payments on the ol' credit cards jumped up to $500+ minimum payments in a hurry, and even with working full time against the doctor's orders, I can't make those ends meet. I just want to stay alive, but it's really expensive to stay alive in the US if you're uninsured, even if you're working at max output.

Just know that I appreciate any and all help. Even if it's just a share. I've cried my eyes out the entire time I've been writing this, because I know how many of us are in the same boat and how hard it is to see any way out, even with a GoFundMe. I wouldn't be asking if I could see any other way. I'm just at my wit's end and I don't know what else to do, at this point.

And as ever,

I love you, Always.

G-Hoodie

Update before bed: I didn't even realize that GoFundMe would keep upping the goal based on contributions and now I am even MORE overwhelmed. I have to go to bed or I am going to flop, but I just wanted to say thank you to everyone. I am just.... completely blown away and a wreck all at the same time. I never expected this kind of outpouring or generosity when we are ALL going through so much right now. I still can't wrap my head around it, honestly. And words fail me for the first time ever.