Help Mert Get (a) Hip!
Donation protected
Hi, Mert here (or MertArt to some of you). For any of you that have seen me in the last year and a half, you know that I’ve been doing my best Tiny Tim impersonation because of the crutch I need to walk. Over the years while trying to keep my internal organs healthy through aerobic exercise, I completely wore out my right hip. To the point where it is more fused bone than joint.
At the same time the hip started to go in 2015, I lost my two main freelance graphic design and illustration clients (one due to a merger and the other due to the vendor that I worked for not renewing their contract with a client). My scheduled hip replacement soon lost out to other financial woes. The insurance that I did have didn't come near to covering the cost of the operation.
2016 didn’t get any better as the chronic pain became a major issue. A project that would normally take a day, now takes over a week due to the inability to sit for any workable period of time. I have managed to maintain some income by selling personal belongings and finding any work that didn’t have rigid deadlines. I also began a very long and frustrating process of getting state assistance for healthcare. I’m happy to report that as of January 1 this year I have the necessary coverage, and I am moving in the direction of a new hip and steady work.
Unfortunately the time it has taken to get to this point has wreaked havoc on my financial situation. I have been approached by friends that want to help cover basics till I can get back on my feet (literally). I'm not crazy about taking charity. But I do have plenty of original art and cartoon drawings to barter. So setting up a self-funding program like this seemed to make the most sense.
You can donate any amount you'd like by clicking the "Donate Now" button at the top. There are also links to donate specific amounts for reward gifts. Unfortunately there is no automatic way for you to select a gift — I will have to follow up with you. In the meantime you can use these links to find cartoons you might like:
Mert Art Facebook Page
Really Short Stories cartoon Facebook page
Sunday Morning Funnies cartoon Facebook page
With your gracious assistance I look forward to getting over these final hurdles so that I may return to the land of the working stiffs (but with functioning joints)!
Thank you.
At the same time the hip started to go in 2015, I lost my two main freelance graphic design and illustration clients (one due to a merger and the other due to the vendor that I worked for not renewing their contract with a client). My scheduled hip replacement soon lost out to other financial woes. The insurance that I did have didn't come near to covering the cost of the operation.
2016 didn’t get any better as the chronic pain became a major issue. A project that would normally take a day, now takes over a week due to the inability to sit for any workable period of time. I have managed to maintain some income by selling personal belongings and finding any work that didn’t have rigid deadlines. I also began a very long and frustrating process of getting state assistance for healthcare. I’m happy to report that as of January 1 this year I have the necessary coverage, and I am moving in the direction of a new hip and steady work.
Unfortunately the time it has taken to get to this point has wreaked havoc on my financial situation. I have been approached by friends that want to help cover basics till I can get back on my feet (literally). I'm not crazy about taking charity. But I do have plenty of original art and cartoon drawings to barter. So setting up a self-funding program like this seemed to make the most sense.
You can donate any amount you'd like by clicking the "Donate Now" button at the top. There are also links to donate specific amounts for reward gifts. Unfortunately there is no automatic way for you to select a gift — I will have to follow up with you. In the meantime you can use these links to find cartoons you might like:
Mert Art Facebook Page
Really Short Stories cartoon Facebook page
Sunday Morning Funnies cartoon Facebook page
With your gracious assistance I look forward to getting over these final hurdles so that I may return to the land of the working stiffs (but with functioning joints)!
Thank you.
Organizer
Mert Art
Organizer
Grand Rapids, MI