Why have I made this GoFundMe?

I am raising money for myself and my partner, to help us get through life with moderate severity Long Covid. We have both been unwell with LC since 2021. Our situation became much more serious following reinfections in 2023, which left us both in a state of more severe illness. Unsurprisingly, our combined ability to earn money declined significantly.

This project aims to make the present more bearable for us, whilst also providing hope for the future. Your donations will help us on our journey towards recovery and independence.

What happened?

I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. I spent my entire adult life fighting hard to restore and maintain my health, only to have it rapidly stolen away in the last 3 years. I’ve gone from being a disabled athlete, adventurer and archaeologist to a semi-housebound sick person.

In 2021, I was at the culmination of a long health journey, having rehabilitated my body after years of medical neglect. I had learned how to manage my complex condition, and my physiotherapy was finally getting my chronic pain under control! I made plans to return to my career full time, writing a research proposal and making lists of potential PhD supervisors. Weeks later, it all came crashing down when someone infected my household with Covid for the first time.

After 18 difficult months, I made a partial recovery from infection no1. While life was still challenging, my body was clearly healing, and things were improving. I allowed myself to make positive plans for my future- perhaps I could resume my paused research? Earn more money? Maybe things will be ok after all?

But then July 2023 happened. Someone infected my household with Covid again. It was absolutely devastating. Life would never be the same. My partner and I developed moderate severity Long Covid (ME/CFS type). Every day was just about surviving. I had to reduce my paid work to very little, becoming my partner’s full time (unpaid) carer, giving them practical support around the clock so they could work part time and remotely, just so we could keep a roof over our heads and food on the table.

What will we use the money for?

-Medical expenses (e.g medicines, taxis to the hospital, any care not covered by NHS).

-Living expenses (staying housed, feeding ourselves, staying warm).

-Disability living aids (e.g. wheelchair maintenance, adaptive furniture, safety gear).

Basically, the money is for keeping us alive and buying us time to recover our health so that we can support ourselves again!

Why do we need other people to help us?

My current ability to earn money is very limited, given my own illness and care responsibilities. I am a full time, unpaid carer for my partner, who has a more severe form of Long Covid. My partner is only able to work part-time (remotely).

We have always worked hard to earn and save money, living a relatively frugal lifestyle even before we got sick. We haven’t been on holiday for 15 years. We don’t spend money on anything other than the essentials. However, there is only so much that you can cut back on. We did everything ‘right’, but have still ended up in financial hardship, without a safety net.

That’s where you come in. Please help us to built a safety net.

My partner and I are slowly healing. We are doing everything we possibly can to aid our recovery. But it is not enough, we need your help.

We are in a serious situation, but it is one that CAN be helped with time, money and the right resources.

With your support, my partner and I can have a better quality of life in the present, and a greater chance of recovery in the future.