Hello, my name is Mathew. I’m trying to raise funds for my family to get back on our feet. We have had a rough, life-changing year. Both Joy and I lost our jobs within the last year. We have struggled to stay afloat. Joy has a torn rotator cuff that has hindered her from many types of work. She recently got a job at a family market in the bakery. She is able to fulfill the physical duties needed for her job, but she still needs extensive surgery. The surgery she needs can only be done by a few doctors in the country. We were referred to a doctor in Boston. We currently don’t have the means to get to Boston for her to have the surgery she needs. I had to resign from my job because I couldn’t fulfill my job duties. I have worked outdoors, doing habitat restoration for over 20 years. It was a job I loved to do and cared about the outcome of my hard work. Last year, I was diagnosed with Lupus. At first, it attacked my thyroid. My thyroid is no longer functional and requires me to be on medication to compensate. Then the Lupus attacked my skin. It caused my skin to have photosensitivity. It now only takes about 10-15 minutes for me to break out in hives and get a sunburn. Needless to say, I can’t work outdoors anymore. That is the main reason I had to resign from my job. It has been really hard for me to find work indoors. All my skills apply to working in the field, not behind a computer or phone. I just really lack the skill sets I need. I’m also struggling now because the Lupus is attacking my nervous system and joints. It is incredibly painful. There are some days I can barely get out of bed. I’m currently trying to get disability since it is incredibly difficult for me to work and be reliable.

The reason I’m setting up this fundraiser is because we are desperate for help. We are way behind on bills, which is affecting our credit score. We basically have enough money for food, gas, and car insurance. We have fallen behind on all our other bills, including our car payment. On top of that, we have over $3000 in medical bills. We now have Medicaid to help with future medical needs, but it can’t backtrack the bills we are currently paying. Since we are just hanging on by a thread, those medical bills we are not able to pay. We are worried about losing both our vehicles. We have already been sent to collections on bills we do not have the ability to pay. Without help, we are going to get much worse. We are also currently looking to get into an apartment. Both our credit has been hit so hard that we can’t qualify for anything. We are trying so hard to move forward and get back on track, but the way it is going, it just keeps getting harder to stay afloat. Both Joy and I know we are sinking fast. There is also a potential that we may end up homeless. We could use any help we can get. If we don’t get help, we are going to end up in a hard spot to get out of.

I’m asking for funds to help get some bills out of collection, pay on our medical bills, and get caught up on our car payments. We are grateful for any help that comes our way, especially when I know that so many people are struggling to keep up with life. Things have gotten so expensive, and I feel it’s going to get even worse. Please help my family. School starts in a month, and we don’t have any money to buy her school supplies. We really just need a hand up to get caught up on things. Thank you for reading this, and we would be so grateful for any help we can get.

Here is how we will be spending the money:

$800 to get our phones turned back on

$1,200 to back payments for vehicle

$500 to help for medical bills