TL;DR :

I’m Heather. I am legally blind and a cochlear implant user — one of only about 5,000 people worldwide like me. I came here because I was promised a safe place by someone who combined academic, professional, and spiritual credentials that should have made them a safe person to trust. Instead, it has turned into domestic violence, physical harm, and an illegal eviction.

I now have to flee quickly, give up many of my possessions, and get to California where I’ve been promised real safety. My room there won’t be ready for a few months, so I’ll be on the couch until then. I’m asking for help raising $15,000 to pay down debt, cover moving costs, and survive this transition without losing my benefits or credit.

As a single, childless disabled woman who is not experiencing intimate partner violence, most existing resources and systems are closed to me. The level of impact my disabilities have on my functioning and safety means that more often than not, shelters will not take me either. That is why I urgently need direct support.

Even a few dollars or a share will make a difference.

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Full Story:

My name is Heather. I grew up fighting for my own rights and autonomy while my disabilities were denied and I was abused because of them. Instead of being supported, I was treated as a burden — silenced, gaslit, and forced to push for every ounce of independence I have today.

I am legally blind and a cochlear implant user — part of an extremely rare community of only about 5,000 people worldwide. Living with both blindness and deafness makes me part of an extreme minority. It also makes me extremely vulnerable when I don’t have safe housing or reliable support.

I’ve spent my life trying not to give up, even after decades of mistreatment and displacement. But now I am once again facing what should never have happened: I entered what was supposed to be a safe home, promised by someone who combined academic, professional, and spiritual credentials that should have made them a safe person to trust.

Instead, it has escalated into domestic violence, physical harm, and an ongoing illegal eviction process. I’ve endured manipulation, intimidation, gaslighting, and escalating abuse. The police have already been involved, and I’ve been documenting everything. This betrayal has left me not only injured but also financially drained — nearly all my credit lines are maxed out from simply trying to survive in unsafe housing.

Now I must flee quickly. That means giving up many of my possessions and only keeping what I can ship out safely.

People often ask why I can’t just go to a shelter or get help from existing resources. The truth is, as a single, childless disabled woman who is not experiencing intimate partner violence, most of the systems in place don’t have anything for me. The very criteria that allow others to get help — being in a relationship, having children, fitting into neat categories — exclude me. On top of that, the level of impact my disabilities have on my functioning and safety means that more often than not, shelters will not take me either.

This is why I’ve had to keep moving between unsafe or unstable situations instead of finding real help, and why direct support through this fundraiser is so critical.

I do have a place in California where I will eventually have my own room. It won’t be ready for a few months, so I’ll be staying on the couch until then. But at least there, I will finally be safe.

Because of my disabilities, employment is extremely difficult to maintain, and even how I receive donations matters — if they’re treated as income, they could threaten the benefits I rely on to survive. That’s why I am putting donations directly toward paying down debt. I am also considering solutions like debt negotiation or restructuring, but I must be careful — because as a disabled person, maintaining good credit is critical for my future stability.

My goal with this fundraiser is $15,000. That represents the debts and expenses I need to cover to escape this unsafe home, survive the transition, and finally move toward safety and stability. I know it’s a large number, but even small donations or shares help chip away at it and bring me closer to safety.

You’ll be helping someone in an extreme minority — someone who has been fighting for their rights and survival since childhood — finally escape abuse and step into a life of stability, dignity, and safety.

Thank you for reading and for standing with me in this fight for survival.