Please help T1D CPTSD Survivor Janet Dyer survive!
Hello! My name is Kyla and I am raising funds for my dear friend Janet Dyer. Janet is a kind and talented soul who has endured the worst of the worst, and she is struggling to make ends meet. Please help me show Janet that her life has value! You know how some people fall through the cracks? Janet has never been outside of them. She has lived her whole life in the cracks. Ready for some sadness?
Janet Mae Dyer was born in 1980, the only child of older parents. She was sexually abused by a close family member from 1984 until 1988. In 1993, her beloved father passed away. That same year, she started her menstruation, and thus began a monthly cycle of debilitating pain caused by undiagnosed Endometriosis. 1994 brought about a new cycle of verbal, psychological, and sexual abuse that continued throughout her adolescence. In 1995, Janet was diagnosed with Juvenile Type 1 Diabetes, and in her early 20's suffered from Diabetic Anorexia, an eating disorder common amongst young adults with T1D. In adulthood, Janet survived 3 long-term relationships that were severely abusive, both physically and psychologically. All of these experiences contributed to her Chronic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). CPTSD is a chronic mental health disorder that causes Janet severe anxiety, deep trust issues, and hypervigilance. As a result of this combination of medical and psychological conditions, Janet has struggled throughout her entire adult life with finding and maintaining secure employment opportunities in companies that support employees with special needs. All of Janet's conditions are "invisible".
In 2015, Janet took a chance at turning her life around! She moved to Calgary and attended beauty college with the intention of honing her skills in make-up artistry - one of her many passions - and hopefully becoming involved in the film industry one day. While in Calgary, she networked with and befriended many talented people in her industry, and became involved with so many creative projects - I was so psyched for her!! Unfortunately, about 3 months after she moved to Calgary there was a major economic downturn, and Janet struggled again to find employment. Her student loans were not enough to cover her rent and bills AND her medications. Due to Insulin-rationing, Janet suffered a Heart Attack in 2017, resulting in a stent. In 2018, she moved back to Saskatchewan in to be closer to her mother and step-father, her only real source of support.
Janet continued to struggle to find employment in Saskatoon, and when the Covid-19 Pandemic hit in March of 2020, she did not qualify for ANY assistance, but also could not work for reasons innumerable. In spite of her many Covid-related fears, Janet found herself a job teaching full-time at a local beauty college, beginning in late August 2020. Everything went well and it looked like things were turning around for Janet, when she required an emergency Hysterectomy due to Endometriosis complications at the beginning of November, 2020, then a secondary procedure one month later. Because she needed to take time off work for this, and it was only 3 months into her employment, the college extended her probationary period and denied her benefits. This was not a policy decision, this was a conscious CHOICE someone made. She went back to work much sooner than she should have out of fear of losing her job, and was expected to work long hours, sometimes 10 hours a day. Her doctor issued a medical request to the college, received on March 21, 2021, asking that her schedule be reduced to 4 days per week ( a schedule that would not have impeded her ability to teach her classes), and the college refused, saying she can continue to work full-time or be let go. She continued to work, and at the end of the week - before she had an opportunity to sit down with her director and discuss things - the college emailed her a letter of termination, effective immediately and without severance pay, citing that she was "not a proper fit". Janet is currently launching a Human Rights Complaint against the college.
Due to the PTSD triggers and immense stress Janet has endured recently, she is not capable of working right now. Since being "let go" from the college, Janet has been experiencing early-onset menopause symptoms, and just one month ago underwent a painful and invasive nasal surgery, resulting in temporary additional health complications. Her mother and step-father have been supporting her to the best of their abilities, but are both retired seniors living on a fixed income themselves. We are all worried about her - all of these conditions and stressors are a potentially fatal combination for Janet! She is currently required to spend upwards of $800 per month on medical expenses alone. She also requires Pelvic Floor Therapy to recover from the Hysterectomy, and I think we can all agree she would benefit tremendously from some regular psychological counselling! Right now, we are simply trying to cover her rent, bills, and food. I am hoping to be able to increase our contribution goal to include therapy and counselling, maybe even help her with car insurance and gas so she might try to find employment again. And while this feels like a bit of a pipe dream, it would be so amazing if we could raise even more to help her secure a lawyer so she can hold that former employer of hers officially responsible for her unfair and highly damaging termination. Some people's lack of humanity astonishes me.
Janet Dyer is a kind-hearted, highly creative, sensitive individual with so much potential. She is a talented artist and a great healer. She has been a deeply loving and supportive friend to me, and if I could adopt her and take care of her myself, I would in a heartbeat. She loves animals and has deep empathy for marginalized peoples (go figure!). She dreams of one day running a rescue farm for both animals and people who have fallen through the cracks. She is currently exploring further education opportunities in social justice, so she can be an advocate for those without voices. After everything she has been through, Janet simply wishes to help others like her, to have a purpose and do good in the world. I hope we can all come together to give this girl the leg-up she has been waiting for her entire life. Please help me show Janet that she is not alone, she is not invisible, she is not worthless. I know if she receives the help she needs and can finally work toward healing and bettering herself, she can do wonderful things and help make this world a kinder and more beautiful place. Thank you so so much for reading this, and at least *seeing* my beautiful friend Janet Mae Dyer and witnessing her life. In spite of everything you have just read, she is hopeful for the future and eager to continue moving forward. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
"May joy and peace surround you, and contentment latch your door.
May happiness be with you now and bless you evermore."
~ Irish Blessing
