Hi I am Drew (he/they) and I live in Berlin. I am a queer community organiser and performer.

I was recently diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos syndrome which has been already wrecking my life for so many years with pain and I at least now know what is going on with my body, but at the cost of having to give up my main job (dance and performance) until I get physiotherapy via my health insurance.

If you know the German healthcare system, you know it takes a long time to get help, get prescriptions and I am currently being passed around doctor to doctor and am getting further testing for comorbid illnesses and rarer forms of EDS. Until that happens, to improve my life I need more pain management and disability aids including a cane for my bad days, a body braid, finger splints, joint support, supportive shoes, a new mattress, a pregnancy pillow, arthritis gloves amongst other things. Also without my main form of income I am going to struggle to make my basic needs including rent, health insurance and food.

What is Ehlers Danlos? Primarily a hypermobility and connective tissue chronic illness. Meaning - I am super bendy and stretchy in all the wrong places and then the other parts of my body try to compensate for that by being extremely tense, causing constant pain, nerve issues, headaches etc. My skin and organs and blood vessels have endless issues - and I am prone to sprains and dislocations in my hypermobile joints, I have chronic fatigue, I am prone to my organs or blood vessels bursting. Somedays the pain is too much I cannot leave my bed, walk, move or function. There are so many more issues that are too long to count.

With this diagnosis, my main income being impossible until I get physiotherapy, bills being due and a ton of things I have to buy to control my pain - that I am super stressed about finances with what looks like no concrete financial stability coming up.

If you have some extra cash to give, please consider giving to help me through this time.