Help Jase and his family move back to NYC

Hi, this is Roz (Jase’s partner) posting. I will try to add more info to this later but here’s an overview:

Jase has been working on his PhD in philosophy for a very long time, and he spent most of that time working alone as a single parent. Jase and Xander, his 7 yo child, had been living in NYC while Jase attended school there. When the pandemic started, they were forced to move back to his hometown in TN to continue his degree via remote learning until his coursework was finished, and he was due to fulfill the teaching portion of his degree. That time is now (or, this summer rather). Jase has completed his coursework and is due back in NYC in the fall of 2022 to teach and write his dissertation. After working for so many years, getting his masters degree, and completing his PhD coursework, he is SO CLOSE to finishing his degree. He has sacrificed so much of his life to his studies, and being a wonderful father and provider for his family. Jase has always been in very high standing with his school and academic peers, receiving a fellowship from the university in their mutual interest in seeing him get his degree there. This interest seems to end, however, in giving us adequate funding to even return to the state.

I’ve been living with Jase and Xander for the better part of the last two years. I moved from my hometown in WA state, to TN, for what was supposed to be a year until we moved to NYC. One year has stretched into two. A few months in, we all caught COVID from the unavoidable exposure of Xan being in school. My health has never recovered. We now suspect that I have POTS and possibly EDS, and these had been “dormant” in my system prior to becoming very ill. I have not, however, been able to obtain any testing, screening, treatment, medication, or therapy for my illness, as I aged out of my health insurance shortly after. TN is notoriously brutal for not approving anyone for state healthcare, and I was no exception. Due to a lack of healthcare, I’ve been mostly confined to our apartment, occasionally venturing out with the assistance of mobility aids. My joints slip out of place constantly, and I can’t walk very far without passing out. I haven’t been able to work for over a year, aside from my small art business. In NYC I will be able to get insurance through the state, and I will be able to get the healthcare I desperately need.

We also have a gender/neuro-diverse kiddo to consider the needs of. Xander is 7, has announced to us in the last year that they identify as non-binary and wish to use they/them pronouns (and has given us permission to share that info publicly), and likely has ADHD, like their dad. They are currently being raised and attending school in a very conservative area, and we worry greatly about the messages they receive about their identity and their role in the world while in school. It is not an accommodating environment for queer and/or neurodivergent kids. They already struggle with their mental health and self-image, and we want to foster as supportive of an environment as possible for them. They need NYC as much as we do.

Getting to NYC was never supposed to be a problem. We expected a significant check from his school last month that would’ve covered this. Then, the financial aid office pulled some last-minute fuckery and decided we would not, actually, be receiving the money that we have received with no issue for the last two years. We’re really at a loss here. As of right now, we have enough to cover our next rent payment, and that’s about it. We will figure out a way to survive and make ends meet until the summer. Come summer though, we will be well out of money with several huge expenses to cover, and we need help. We are continuing to look for solutions to buy us time, scholarships or loans that can be applied for, any extra work Jase is able to take on. We do not expect to meet this financial goal through fundraising alone. But god, we really need a break. We’ve been navigating financial turmoil for two years, trying to stretch Not Enough Money as far as we can. This is beyond our abilities to problem-solve. We greatly appreciate any contributions, as this move is truly essential for the well-being of our entire family.