<div>&lt;NOTE: WE DO NOT MEAN TO IMPLY THAT THIS FUNDRAISER IN ANY WAY BENEFITS CAMPAMENTO TORTUGUERO LDM.  THIS FUNDRAISER IS ONLY TO HELP MARK AND JANET WORK THROUGH A PERSONAL FINANCIAL CRISIS. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY CONFUSION&gt;
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<div>Most of you reading this probably already know us, but you may not be aware of our current circumstances. For those who don't know us, we are Mark and Janet Axton, a retired couple living in a small town in Mexico. We do local volunteer work, right now focusing on sea turtle egg rescue and hatchling release. Our Social Security is all we have to live on, and it has been (barely) enough to survive here. We worry about money all the time, but we get by, and we're able to feed ourselves and our animals and pay our bills, as long as there aren't any surprises.
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<div>This month, my Social Security check came in at half the normal amount. It appears there is some sort of overpayment they are making me repay, but I never got any notice or explanation of this. I called Social Security, and, despite the current government shutdown, a real person answered, but they were unable to help. I was instructed to file an appeal, but was also told that appeals wouldn't be addressed until the shutdown was over. Meanwhile we have bills and rent to worry about, and there's no guarantee that I will win my appeal, and if I do, if I will ever get back the money they've docked me.
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<div>What little money we've been able to save each month was meant to go toward paying our semi-annual insurance premium, which is due next month, and Janet is scheduled for some surgery in December. So on top of everything else, we might lose our health insurance as well (Medicare won't cover us here in Mexico).
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<div>It is humiliating and embarrassing to have to reach out for help, but I don't see any real, immediate options. We have no other pensions or savings to rely on, and our credit cards are nearly maxed. I have been trying to find remote work, but have so far struck out. We don't live an extravagant lifestyle at all, we just want to be able to feed ourselves and our animals (two cats, Maisie and Skye, and our parrot, Calypso), pay our bills, and continue helping sea turtles. If there were a few dollars left over for surprise expenses (like repairing our washing machine, which we had to do twice last month) we could breathe a little easier, but just getting out of this current hole would be enough.
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<div>For what it's worth, I do write a subscription-based blog about our experiences here in Mexico, and that brings in a few bucks a month. You can find it under the handle <a href="https://mexicanmark.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MexicanMark</a>.
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<div>Thank you for reading this. And thank you, like, a <strong><em>LOT</em></strong>, if you're able and willing to help us out. And if not, I still hope you have the most awesome day possible!
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