Hi. My name is Zoe Chanin. One of my best friends in Ann Arbor is a sweet, sarcastic, and endlessly generous non-binary person named Jules Curtis (in the picture above). Jules' story reminds me of all the people in our society who fall through the cracks.

Jules has been a long-haul truck driver for 15 years, and three months ago suffered a severe herniated disc -- one of the most common injuries among truck drivers, but Jules' case is among the most severe. I go to Jules' house to walk their dog several times a week, and often find them crying in pain - or bravely crawling around on the floor to pick up after their dog Molly.

Jules cannot walk and has been on unpaid medical leave for months -- with no health insurance and no income. Now they are being evicted.

Once they are evicted from their apartment (on November 27), they will have nowhere to go. Jules cannot move in with their parents in Ohio, because they physically abused Jules for being queer as a teenager and kicked Jules out of the house at 16.

To recover so Jules can work again, they need to pay for a spinal epidural and potentially spinal surgery out of pocket. Otherwise, a nerve that is being compressed by the out of place spinal disc may die leading to longer term disability. And they need at least 6 month of rent and food so they won't be evicted while trying to recover.

Jules' workman's compensation claim has been denied because they previously complained of lower back pain, so it was deemed a "pre-existing condition" (this is being contested but could be years until a resolution). Jules' emergency medicaid application was rejected -- because their former income as a truck driver was above the limit, even though they have made no income for months. Because Jules is on (unpaid) medical leave, they do not qualify for unemployment. Because they are making no income, they cannot get a loan from the bank.

It seems like no one can help Jules.

Because Jules is too shy to ask people directly for help, I am doing it on their behalf: Jules needs help. They need financial support -- paying out of pocket for a spinal epidural, an MRI, and potentially spinal surgery. And they need at least 6 month of rent and food so they won't be evicted while trying to recover.

They also need legal help -- contesting their denied workman's comp claim, their denied medicaid application, and their denied short term disability application.

It is messed up that we live in a society where people can fall through the cracks like this, but at least we can help Jules.

If you can help, please contact me at z d c h a n i n @ u m i c h . e d u or donate to this gofundme. Thank you so, so much.