Over the last three years, I have struggled to pay off my medical bills that have put me into debt. Having lost three of my jobs during Covid and finding myself limited to making well below poverty level, I have not been able to make progress on my bills. When I initially got the bills for almost losing my eye back in 2019 from a wood splitting accident, it was barely above $5,500.00. It was easier to work on it, I had employment and month after month my bill would shrink. Come 2020, would I find out that every few months, would interest kick in. 10.5% rate. This caused my bill to bloat up towards 6k. I continued to make payments and would once again get it back down into the range of 5k.

As of December 24th, 2020 my bill grew to $6,506.29. About a thousand higher than when I initially received my bill. I did my best to once again fight to get my medical debt below and back into the 5k range despite not having the funds or income. I was doing the best I could. By June of 2021, interest appeared again, bumping my bill back to $6,622.53. . . I was slowly losing my mind. Yet again, despite rough phone calls and trying to work things out with the collector, I was told by their agents time and time again that if I bring in $1k a month before taxes, to not pay rent but pay my bill. Over and over, this was the tune that they sung. I kept making the payments that I could afford while cutting down on my own resources to ensure I could still afford food for my dogs and insurance & gas on my old truck.

I continued to get my bill closer to the original owed amount while making no dents in it.

As of January 2022, their interest rate has gone up and now, after three years of paying them thousands of dollars towards my bill- I face a balance of $6,777.23. While I feel terrible asking for help, this is a battle I know I cannot win at this rate without at least asking for kindness and assistance. . .