UPDATE: I will be unhoused by the 28th!!

Hello again! Unfortunately, I have bad news—my situation just became dire:

Currently, I have to prioritize affording what little food I can + paying a nonnegotiable $500 to my credit card by the 26th. I need to leave my current place by the 28th—I can’t afford the $500 to stay another month. I have nothing to spare and nowhere to go. I was recently rejected from renting a room due to issues accessing my rental history. I am entirely alone and terrified.

I also have a pet that relies on me. My pet is very emotionally attached to me and has been by my side for 5 years. While I can live in my car for a while, he can’t. And I can’t give him away or hope for someone to foster him. While I’m trying to find a solution, such as moving states, I am quickly running out of time.

If you can, please consider donating to help a trans man stay housed for a little while longer. If not, just reading my story and sharing means so much to me :)!!

Hopefully next update will be a happier one.

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Hello :) I'm Mandel! I'm a 20-yo trans man in Oklahoma and I need help.

I work two jobs in Tulsa to keep myself alive. Most of my income goes toward rent—the other portion disappears into car payment, medical/credit card debt, and other bills. Sometimes I can’t even afford to feed myself. And unfortunately, I can't rely on family for support. I’m financially isolated.

Sadly, I recently developed autoimmune issues and severe narcolepsy. Even worse: I've been without insurance for almost 4 years—meaning I have been paying for medicine, visits, and the like out-of-pocket.

One autoimmune disease gave me a severe infection in August 2025. I ended up in the ER with massive bills (if you can imagine). I’ve had multiple doctor visits for undiagnosed heart-related issues and other complications. And, while I waited months for Medicare to respond to my application, my medical bills quietly went into collections. While these visits saved my life, I can't keep up with the bills on my own.

For reference: I have over $4,000 in medical debt from ER visits and follow-up appointments and around $1,500 in credit card debt (most of it used for necessities like food and gas).

My typical monthly income is roughly $1,800. I pay about $200 toward medical bills (+ $100 for past surgery), $400 toward credit card and college debt, and $250 for my car payment, on top of $500 for rent. By the time I pay rent and minimum payments on my debts, there is very little left for groceries, medications, copays, or emergencies. Any unexpected expense leaves me without food or gas money.

In all honesty, asking for help publicly feels shameful and embarrassing. But I’ve cut every expense I can, taken on more work where my health allows, and I am still drowning :(. Any additional energy at the end of my day goes toward my pet and looking for new jobs or community support.

Your support (even if it’s just reading and sharing!) will help me tackle several debts:

• Getting out of collections and paying off my most urgent medical debts;
• Keeping my car and covering necessary repairs so I can keep working; 
• And affording rent, groceries, and medications long enough to breathe and plan my next steps. 

If you’re able to donate, please know that you’re helping a trans man stay housed, keep his job, and move a step closer to escaping a situation that feels impossible :).

If you can’t donate, sharing this with others who might be able to help also means the world to me! Thank you for reading, for supporting, and for helping me hold onto the possibility of a safer life :)!!