Please Help Us Purchase a Camping Trailer for Our Mom While She Fights for Disability Approval

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

⏰ URGENT: She could be facing eviction November 1st! We need to purchase a camping trailer for her permanent stable housing. To avoid eviction we need to raise minimum $1,960 by October 20th. Remaining funds will go towards the trailer, etc. Please see these links for PDF to support beyond donations: Help with Stability — Community Sharing Guide & Join in deeper with this Community Action Plan PDF. More info below. Thank you for assisting in this crisis.

What We're Raising Funds For:

We, her family, need to raise funds to purchase an all-weather camping trailer for our mom to live in permanently, along with covering her moving costs, bankruptcy fees, and bridge expenses while she continues fighting for disability approval. She must be out of her apartment by November 1st.

All funds will be used by us, her family, to directly purchase the trailer and pay for associated expenses on her behalf. If we cannot raise enough to purchase the trailer by the end of October, we're hoping to at least cover her rent to avoid eviction while we continue fundraising. She is also open to us accepting a gifted trailer on her behalf that meets her housing needs (must accommodate pets and handle Utah winters), getting one at a lower cost, or us arranging payments once her disability is approved – though she currently has no income or credit score to obtain financing through normal means.

Her Story:

My mom has always been a fighter. For years, she pushed through severe pain to keep working to maintain her independence. But her body has reached a breaking point.

For almost two years my mom has been living with debilitating pain from spinal stenosis after over half a decade of severe degenerative disc disease – these conditions have left her unable to work and fighting daily just to perform basic tasks like showering or walking to the bathroom. She also has had two bulged disks in her neck adding to the severity & extreme nerve pain in her hands.

What She's Facing: Homelessness

Unless we can purchase this trailer for her, she faces homelessness. Spinal stenosis occurs when the spinal canal narrows, putting constant pressure on the nerves. Degenerative Disc Disease is a condition where the cushioning discs in her spine have deteriorated, losing their ability to absorb shock between the vertebrae.

The result? My mom experiences:

She has tried multiple injections and spinal procedures, but any relief is minimal and temporary – wearing off before she's eligible for the next treatment. There is no cure. This is her reality.

She has applied for disability benefits, but the approval process can take years. She may need legal assistance to secure approval, which comes with additional costs.

A Lifetime of Hard Work:

My mom is 55 years old. She left school at the young age of 15 in 1984 due to her first pregnancy, having 3 total children before the age of 20 and her youngest daughter when she was 24.

At just 15 years old she had to drop out of school to be a full-time mom. At 22 after her divorce she spent decades doing physically demanding jobs to support her family; which clearly took a toll on her body. She worked through the pain for as long as she possibly could.

Even as her body deteriorated, she continued to give back to her community. She has volunteered with homeless assistance programs, knitted beanies & mittens for them and participated in charity work like sub for Santa programs, always finding ways to help others even when struggling herself.

But over the past almost two years, her pain has become so severe that traditional work is no longer an option. She cannot sit for extended periods, she cannot stand for long, and she cannot walk distances. The physical limitations mean any kind of work isn't possible right now.

She's trapped in a body that won't cooperate, with basically no options for income aside from making some arts & crafts she would love to expand on & sell while waiting for her disability application to be processed.

The Current Crisis

While dealing with this unimaginable pain, my mom has also been facing financial devastation:

She is in a constant state of severe stress due to extreme "survival mode" for years now – having sought help wherever she can find it, applying for every program available, and watching doors close one after another.

Why We're Purchasing a Camping Trailer for Her: We're not asking for a luxury – we're asking to help provide survival and dignity for our mom.

Even if disability approval eventually comes through, it typically will not be enough to cover rental costs in Salt Lake City, Utah. The math just doesn't work. My mom has thought this through carefully and realized that for the remainder of her life, a camping trailer is the only sustainable housing option.

Our plan:

This isn't just about housing – it's about us providing a sustainable living situation where she can focus on managing her health while waiting for disability approval, and where her eventual disability income will be able to cover minimal needs.

How Your Support Helps Us Help Her

We're raising this money to directly purchase and provide the following for our mom:

Ways You Can Help Beyond Money

Our family is open to all kinds of support for our mom:

Every Dollar Matters:

We understand that these are significant goals, but every contribution brings us closer to providing sustainable housing for our mom. Even if you can't donate, sharing this campaign with your network means the world to us.

If we cannot raise enough by the end of October to purchase the trailer, we at least hope to have enough to pay her rent and avoid eviction until we can raise the full amount needed.

This Is About Dignity and Hope

This fundraiser represents more than just money. It's about us being able to provide our mom with:

My mom has given everything she could. She worked hard her entire life, pushed through pain most people can't imagine, and gave back to her community whenever she could. She's lost so much – her health, her ability to work, her financial stability. But she hasn't lost her will to keep going. She deserves a chance to rebuild on ground that won't crumble beneath her feet.

Thank you for taking the time to read my mom's story. Thank you for your compassion, your generosity, your advice, and your support during one of the most difficult periods of her life. Your help isn't just financial – it's a lifeline of hope when she needs it most.

With deep gratitude,

Kerilyn's Family & Friends

GoFundMe organized by her 2nd youngest daughter, Fay Blackmore

Funds will be managed by her Grandmother Kathleen Thompson

IMPORTANT: All funds collected will be used by us, her family, to directly purchase an all-weather camping trailer, pay for moving and setup expenses, legal fees, and immediate needs on her behalf while she continues working with the government for disability approval. Any helpful advice while navigating these difficult times &/or assistance with selling arts & crafts or household items is also deeply appreciated. Thank you again so much!