Hi, I’m Shelley (Michelle). I’m a professional artist, teaching artist, and intuitive. I'm passionate about creating space for folks to connect to themselves, their intuition, and their innate creativity, but mostly I love helping others to see their own significance, to create, to heal. I created a professional life I loved, working with folks of all ages, teaching intuitive art classes through multiple organizations, and offering healing intuitive sessions with individual clients.

In October 2025, my life changed dramatically when I became sick with COVID for the first time and didn’t recover. What followed has been many months of Long COVID. More recently, I was also diagnosed with ME/CFS, a debilitating illness related to Long COVID. These illnesses have significantly limited both my physical and cognitive capacity and have left me unable to work since October. Before becoming sick, I had been supporting myself through my work as a teaching artist and through my own intuitive practice. Having my ability to create, teach, connect, and work suddenly taken away has changed nearly every aspect of my life.

One development I am incredibly grateful for is that, after several months of my primary care provider trying to get me in, I have been accepted into both the Long COVID and ME/CFS programs at Stanford and have an appointment in September. Having the opportunity to finally be evaluated by specialists who work specifically with these illnesses gives me hope.

Why I need help now:

My state disability (short term disability) are ending next week. I began the process of applying for Social Security Disability (long term disability) in early spring, but I later learned that the process is extremely unpredictable and can take up to a year or more. That leaves me facing a potentially significant period without the disability income I have been relying on to live.

I am doing everything I can, within the limitations of my illness, to find a way through this period. Because my cognitive capacity is limited, I’ve used AI to help me search for financial resources and have reached out to organizations for assistance. I’ve found a couple of grants that I’m working on applying for as my capacity allows, and I was also extremely fortunate to receive a $1,000 grant from the AMMES Foundation, for which I am deeply grateful. After months of searching, however, that is the only financial assistance I have been able to receive so far. There are very few resources available for people trying to survive this gap between short-term disability ending and long-term disability potentially beginning.

So I am doing something that is not easy for me: I am asking for support. Donations will help keep me afloat while I wait for long term disability and cover basic living necessities such as:

Every contribution, no matter the amount, will make a meaningful difference. If you aren’t able to donate, sharing this fundraiser with friends, family, your community, or on social media is also an enormous help.

I am hopeful. As an artist and spiritual person, I have returned again and again to the symbol of the phoenix. Years ago, during another extremely challenging period of my life when my father was terminally ill, I created a painting of a phoenix rising from the ashes, strong, alive, and steadfast. For me, that image has always carried the message that even through extreme challenge, we can still rise.

Right now, I am doing my best to stay afloat long enough to give my body the time and care it needs, access specialized medical care, and continue hoping for more healing and life on the other side of this. Thank you for reading my story, for sharing it, and, if you are able, for helping me through this incredibly difficult time.

With gratitude, Shelley (Michelle)

Teaching Artist site:

https://wickedpainty.com/

Intuitive site:

https://shelleychamplin.com/

(Gofundme seems to only allow a thumbnail of the image rather than the whole thing)