Help Vesper get an autism diagnosis!
Donation protected
Hello friends and fellow humans, I'm Vesper aka "Catbutt" (deadname R*****) and I hope this finds you well! Unfortunately, I am in a bit of a pickle, to say the least. I'm also very not good at warming up an audience, so seatbelts please.. it's time for all gas no brakes lets goooo~
I am an autistic, disabled, unemployed, impoverished survivor of severe childhood trauma who has subsequently suffered greatly from lifelong depression/anxiety/ADHD/cPTSD. I desperately need to be on disability so that I'm not fully financially reliant on my partner and his family, and so we can finally make ends meet ourselves and pay off, rather than keep adding to, our already outstanding debts. My parents are out of the picture (shocking! /s), and my partner's parents have been helping when they can, but they have their own financial limitations.
In order to secure my best chances at being approved for the disability income I need to live, I need to be formally diagnosed with autism. I have an appointment for an official assessment already scheduled for January 18, 2023, but it's $1650 out of pocket, no insurance accepted (not like they'd take my Medicaid anyways).
My appointment will be remote, and although the provider is from out of state, they have reciprocity with several states. However, since I moved, my new state does not have reciprocity. This means that I will have to travel about four hours, one way, to a neighboring state in order to legally be "seen." Then the assessment itself will be 2-3 hours long. Thinking about driving another 4 hours back home after all that just sounds impossible because I'm sure I'll be out of spoons/spell slots, so I'll probably have to find a place to crash overnight as well.
That process may seem excessive just for a diagnosis with this particular provider, but this was the only place I could find who was taking new adult patients. Other places I contacted were booked out a year in advance and only taking children. The provider I'm seeing got me in within 9 months. It's unfortunately a huge headache just to get a special little paper that says I'm Certified Autistic™ when anyone who knows anything about autism could diagnose me within 15 minutes of meeting me, but I digress...
Any money received will first and foremost go towards paying for my official diagnosis, including any necessary travel/lodging expenses. Anything on top of that would be used to help make ends meet (rent, groceries, medical care) in the meantime while we wait for my case to process.
It's honestly hard for me to process the fact that I have to petition people on the internet just so I have a glimmer of hope of potentially escaping survival mode for once in my life, but here I am, writing away. And now here you are, having ventured through my mini roller coaster. I appreciate you for making it this far.
I'll be honest, I don't really know what to expect. But I do know that anything helps, and I will be so very grateful for any kindness. If you are also in dire straight, I feel for you. Even just a share could be helpful ☺️
So thanks I hope maybe WITH YOUR POWERS COMBINED you guys can help me not suffer ? Wow that's dark. Uhh yeah I'm just as bad at outros thanks I love you byeeeee~~~~
Organizer
Vesper Wynd
Organizer
Hammond, LA