Dear Community of Beloved Friends and Family,

I come before you humbled today, with an ask that makes me feel incredibly uncomfortable. Please believe that if I had any other option I would not be here. I have been working my ass off to regain my sovereignty and rebuild my life, against the odds.

My application for Legal Aid was unfortunately (and somewhat unbelievably) denied. I was just barely over the eligibility limit, even though I was only making $16.43 an hour, 35 hours a week. (That’s barely over minimum wage, and it is more $$$ to live here in Canada.)

The fact that I am now currently unemployed as of 1/15 does not make a difference to them.

Yet the reality is that I *must* retain an attorney within the next few days to represent me in this divorce. I cannot represent myself, I simply do not have capacity on *any* level, this entire situation has already been dangerously close to pushing me over the edge.

I continue to live in survival mode with very little security, experiencing nearly continuous trauma responses, with a brain that is still not functioning properly post-traumatic brain injury, all while enduring horrendous symptoms of complex PTSD that have me navigating massive panic attacks multiple times a day. I currently have one paycheck to my name to show for all the hard work I have done the past several months. That’s all the money I’ve got despite living close to the bone.

I have not gone through everything I have so brutally endured to allow that to happen. But I need help, and I need it *now.*

I need to ask for help from the people who love and care about me, despite the fact that Depression currently has me feeling like a terrible, disgusting burden to every single person in my life and to society as a whole. Despite the fact that people have already helped me in so many ways.

Rebuilding a life from scratch at this age with next to nothing, 2500 miles away from family, while living witn chronic illness and complex PTSD, and only being qualified to work here in Canada at minimum wage paying jobs is definitely not for the feint of heart. This has literally been two years of fighting tooth and nail for my life. I would not be here to make this post right now without the earth angels in my life.

But I’m not on solid ground yet, by any stretch of the imagination.

I need to source a minimum of $3000 over the next couple days or so to retain an attorney. He already has an attorney representing *his* best interest. I deserve to have someone representing my own best interest after everything I have been through. I am worthy of support. I deserve to be able to get back on my feet and heal.

Please help me to reclaim and stand in my power by taking on Goliath. I may be small, but I am Mighty, and I’m not ready to throw in the towel quite yet. I have important work to accomplish here in life, but first I gotta walk through the fires of Hell.

In Gratitude and With Love,

Julie