Over the past several years, living with chronic illness and disability has changed every part of my life, including my financial stability.

Like many disabled Australians, I’ve spent a long time trying to balance rising living costs, medical expenses, and the reality of surviving on a limited income. What started as using my credit card for genuine emergencies slowly became relying on it for survival. Specialist appointments, medications, unexpected health costs, basic necessities, and simply trying to stay afloat have added up over time.

Right now, I’m carrying approximately $8,000 in debt across one credit card, some BNPL, and an advance on my pension.

I’m not asking for luxury or excess. I’m asking for a chance to reset.

My goal is to pay down this debt so my credit card can go back to what it was originally meant for: an emergency safety net for larger medical costs and unexpected situations, instead of a constant source of stress hanging over me every day.

I don’t want to constantly wonder how I’m going to afford my medications, everyday groceries, or keep putting off replacing worn out shoes and clothes because there is simply never enough money left over after covering the basics.

As someone who speaks openly online about disability, chronic illness, and the realities of surviving on the DSP, I know I’m far from alone in this experience. So many disabled people are doing everything “right” and still struggling financially because the systems around us simply aren’t built for stability.

One of the hardest parts of making this fundraiser is admitting that I’m struggling at all.

My natural instinct has always been to pretend I’m fine, to downplay how difficult things have become, and to try to carry everything on my own for as long as possible. But the truth is that I am exhausted from trying to stay afloat financially while living with chronic illness and surviving on a pension that was never designed to provide real stability for people who cannot supplement that income. I am tired of the constant panic when body corporate fees come due, wondering whether I’ll be able to pay them on time, and of delaying medical treatment or investigations because I simply cannot afford the upfront costs.

I have spent a long time trying to “figure it out” on my own. I’ve thought about ways I might be able to earn extra money, and while there are ideas that could potentially work, most of them would require an enormous amount of time, energy, consistency, physical capacity and/or money to set up, that I simply do not have access to right now.

That’s one of the realities of disability people often don’t see. Even small opportunities can come with a huge cost when your energy is already being consumed by pain, appointments, fatigue, survival, and simply getting through each day.

I don’t want luxury. I want breathing room. I want to stop feeling like one unexpected expense could completely destabilise my life. I want the ability to use my credit card for actual emergencies again instead of relying on it just to survive.

Asking for help publicly goes against every instinct I have. But continuing to pretend I’m coping when I’m struggling this deeply isn’t sustainable either.

Any contribution, no matter the amount, would help me move closer to financial stability and a little more breathing room. And if you’re unable to donate, sharing this fundraiser would mean just as much.

Thank you for reading, for supporting, and for helping me work toward a fresh start.