My mother and I have been holding each other up for a long time.

I’ve spent much of my adult life balancing caregiving, health challenges, survival, and building community through comedy, storytelling, and inclusion work here in Minneapolis. Through Good Camel Comedy Theater, Black & Funny, and many other projects, I’ve tried to create spaces where people can laugh, feel seen, tell the truth, and feel a little less alone.

Right now, we are in a very difficult financial stretch.

I’ve continued working this entire time, but delayed PCA reimbursement payments and ongoing system complications have created a serious financial gap. At the same time, I’m trying to keep up with medications, transportation, caregiving responsibilities, rent, catching up financially, and basic stability for both myself and my mother.

Part of this strain has also come from the massive ICE surge and fear that swept through immigrant communities across Minnesota this winter. It disrupted transportation, healthcare access, appointments, caregiving logistics, and everyday stability for many families, including ours. At the same time, my mother was unexpectedly switched from UCare to Blue Cross Blue Shield, which created additional bureaucratic issues and delayed critical PCA-related payments we were counting on.

This has been exhausting.

Asking for help publicly is not easy for me. I’m usually the person trying to hold things together, build opportunities for others, make people laugh, and create community spaces where people feel less alone. But I also know that community has to work both ways, and right now I genuinely need help getting through this chapter safely and with dignity.

Your support will help cover:

• Medication and healthcare costs

• Transportation and caregiving stability

• Basic living expenses during delayed reimbursements

• Catching up financially and paying down debt

• Helping me and my mother stay secure during this transition period

Even small donations help more than you know. Sharing this fundraiser also means a great deal.

The photos here are a reminder of why I keep fighting forward. My mother sacrificed so much for me, and I want to continue building a life where both of us can feel safe, stable, joyful, and hopeful again.

Thank you for reading, supporting, sharing, or simply rooting for us. I truly mean that.

I believe joy, care, truth, and community are important. Right now, I feel blessed to have them.