Help Vanesa Reclaim Her Life After a Lifetime of Injustice.
Hi, my name is Melanie, and I’m here to tell you about one of the strongest, kindest people I’ve ever known: my dear friend Vanesa.
She’s been in my life for over 20 years. If you met her, you’d probably say the same thing everyone else does: “She’s always smiling.” What most people don’t see is the pain behind that smile. Vanessa has been battling not one, but two autoimmune diseases—Myasthenia Gravis and Graves’ disease—since she was 15 years old. She’s been in and out of hospitals more times than I can count, yet never complains. She’s applied for disability for over 30 years and been denied every time.
She’s proud. She’s fiercely independent. And she would never ask for help, so I’m doing it for her.
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A Lifetime of Hard Work, Heartbreak, and Hustle
Vanesa has spent her life working on her feet, often doing 14-hour shifts in restaurants and later, the banking world. But illness forced her to stop. Still, she hustled—selling crafts, feeding the homeless, helping anyone she could.
She has no family support. Her mother was abusive, disowned her, and left her out of her will. Her beloved brother AJ—her one true support—passed away, and what followed was beyond cruel: AJ’s so-called “best friend” manipulated their mother into signing over her life insurance and bank accounts to him, cutting Vanesa and her siblings out entirely. He now has guardianship over Vanesa’s father, who has advanced Alzheimer’s, and has moved him into a facility that is owned by one of his friends. Making it impossible for anyone but this guy to see her father. Vanessa was left with nothing—not even her inheritance.
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Why We’re Raising Funds
Vanesa is now living alone in a tiny apartment with her dog, surviving on less than $900 a month. She’s battling serious health issues, taking painful daily injections, getting weekly blood work, and barely affording her meds.
She doesn’t have a working vehicle, and without a valid license or insurance, she’s had to drive to medical appointments illegally—because she has no other option. Just last week, her car broke down and stranded her in the heat until the kind parents of an ex-boyfriend helped.
She needs help, now. She has never asked for it, but I won’t let her suffer in silence.
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Where Your Donation Will Go:
• $1000 – License reinstatement, citation from a red light
- $900 for 6 months of insurance (150 a month-estimate)
• $400 – Car repairs to make her vehicle roadworthy
• $300 – Emergency costs (gas, meds, food, hygiene essentials)
- $700 Past medical co-pays she owes
- $80 for weekly physical therapy she needs but can't afford
- $110 medicine co pays she owes
- $80 a month for 2 specialists
- $50 Dog food
Every dollar will go directly to helping Vanesa get back on her feet—so she can safely attend doctor appointments, refill prescriptions, and regain some independence. She deserves that. She’s earned that.
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A Warrior Who Still Gives
Even after a hospital stay, Vanesa gets up at 6AM to volunteer—planting and growing vegetables to feed the homeless. She gives what little she has to others, even when she has almost nothing herself.
She’s the kind of person this world needs more of. And yet the world has failed her—over and over again.
I know things are hard for everyone right now, but if you can spare even $5 or $10, it would mean the world. Not just to Vanesa, but to me. Because this woman deserves better. And I believe we can give her that.
Thank you so much for reading, sharing, and helping in any way you can.
—Melanie
Organizer
