Hello

My name is Mitchell Wan and I was stricken with Valley Fever which is known as coccidioidomycosis in April 2014. FV for short is a desert fungus that grows in the southwest deserts that attacks the respiratory system and it has damaged and scared over 20% of my lungs. You get the fungus after you inhale the spores blowing in the winds.

I had tried to work it out and beat it out of me, I lost. I was medically forced to retire from American Airlines Ground Operations in March 2015. A couple of years after I retired in August 2017 I lost my home and everything that goes with a home since I could not work any longer.

My first few years after retiring my only income was a small pension of 294.00 a month and I had lived with a friend in Oregon from Sept 2017 until I lost her to cancer in 2021. I had started receiving Ss when I turned 62 in March 2018 and received an extra 724.00 a month for a total income of 1018.00 a month. When I lost my lady friend from cancer in Feb 2021 and I became homeless and returned to AZ

Afterwards I was determined not to join the homeless groups on the streets or wherever they were. I decided and I was determined that if I was going to be homeless I would be homeless on my own property somewhere.

I had found and brought a piece of property in Oct 2021 which I can afford for 221.00 a month over 10 years. I moved on to my lot in mid November 2021. Then I was living in a tent on my own land in northeast Apache County Arizona and no one could ever tell me to leave.

Then all I have left was my 2005 Jeep Wrangler for transportation to and from my medical care and other trips for food and necessary items for myself and my pup who is all I have left in life, who we had adopted together. The old wrangler was slowly falling apart from Sept to Nov when it fell apart when it completely broke down.

I had tried to replace things and it could only go so far.

We were dead in the water and friends helped when they could for propane and food. The nearest small town was Sanders away is 34 miles one way. We live in nowhere in the middle of cattle country of northern Arizona.

We had lived in a Four season 8'x9' tent for over a year and today we live in a larger tent, with friends to help purchase a larger 16'x24' wall tent in Oct 2022.

Today my Ss and pension is currently at 1174.00 per month. Not enough for today's cost of things nor will the Ss 2024 COLA may be a raise of 30.00

I had brought the Wrangler new in 2006 and the Wrangler has over 254000 miles on it today. The transmission/transfer case is old, worn and tired and the 4x4 transfer case will no longer work. I need a new transfer case and hopefully the transmission is repairable, since the reverse no longer works and the engine also needs work and new parts and tires.

As for my medical care, I need the Wrangle for my travels to and from the Phoenix valley some 300 miles one way to my doctor's office and for the biannually checkups along with lab work and xrays for what VF is doing. The anti-fungal medication Fluconazole will only suppress VF for a time. There is no cure for VF and I have to live with it for life until my end. I also have the medical copay for labs and xrays and the pulmonary specialist.

As for the wall tent I have been trying to insulate the larger tent which is difficult to heat and stay warm this winter and the heater uses up a lot of propane. The smaller dome tent was easier to heat up with a buddy heater. I am working to turn the wall tent into an insulated tiny home, but with my monthly funding is a very slow process because we all know of today's cost of medical and needed things.

Therefore, I need to repair my Wrangler to run again for transportation to my medical care and to obtain the other necessities in life.

Since it is the beginning of the winter season, I need to fully insulate the wall tent and to finish the front and back wood frame with a door to stop the cold draft into my little and keep the heat in my tiny home.

The remaining funds to help with the cost of fuel for the trips and the propane for heating and cooking and food for me and my pup and her vet care. Then hopefully our economy will be better and affordable to live on my Ss and pension in the future.

I thank you for your time to each of you who reads and learns my story and I am grateful for your help.

The pictures are of the 8'x9' Four season dome tent our first home. The larger 16'24' wall tent front and rear view was nearly completed before we moved from the dome tent into it in Nov 2022.

If you have questions, please email below.

Thank you and Merry Christmas

Mitchell Wan