Kaeley's Medical Bill Fund
Donation protected
Friends and family, you have been the only health insurance that really has shown up and allowed me to afford the treatment I need. Thank you. I am in awe at your generosity and am filled with gratitude!
When I started this GoFundMe campaign, I was very uncomfortable with the idea of fundraising for myself. I want to work for policy change so that healthcare is affordable to all, rather than support solutions that involve people relying on the kindness of people's hearts, the money in their (friends') pockets, or the profit-driven insurance companies' mercy in order to survive.
The unfair truth is that many resources, including healthcare, housing, fair treatment by the criminal justice system, childcare, food and water access, etc. are still very inequitably distributed in this country and world. The determinants of whether or not a person has or gets these things do not involve how worthy or deserving they are of these rights; if somene can afford housing and makes a million dollars a month, that doesn't necessarily mean that they work harder or are smarter than someone who is without a permanant home and makes $7.50 an hour.
When I started this GoFundMe campaign, I did not know how it worked. I was skeptical and I disconnected it from facebook, thinking I would just email it to 15 people. It spread and I have connected with people and received more unexpected love than I could have imagined. It was scary opening up my situation for the world to see. But thanks to you, a weight has been lifted from my shoulders and I am able to afford treatment. And in a world where health epidemics are rising with greater complexity as our climate changes and the gap between the haves and have-nots widens, I think it's good to connect the dots by sharing our stories. You have no idea how many people (mostly young women, also dismissed by doctors) have contacted me because of this campaign who have been suffering in isolation with similar disabling symptoms. Something's going on - stay tuned for more analysis and investigation.
A month ago, I had been in pain for years with no end or answers or plan, and whatever plan doctors had suggested seemed impossible due to the massive medical debt that loomed above me. Now, I have a diagnosis that explains my whole life of symptoms and am receiving care that is addressing the root of my issues and builds the foundation for a lifetime of health. THANK YOU.
As I celebrate with a humbled and appreciative heart the incredible generosity that has led me here, I'm also thinking of the millions across the planet who don't even have access to internet, who may have a social network of five family members or none with less than $10 between them, who are casualties of the gross abuse of earth and labor in our distressed system of plunder that seems to be par for the (Koch and Trump golf) course right now.
Let's change the system. Affordable healthcare for all.
A chance at life for all!
Original campaign description from June 2015:
Have you ever heard the ‘most annoying sound in the world?’
Well, I feel like I’ve had a very annoying Jim Carrey screaming in my car as I drive through life for 8 months now. That’s over 240 days. No matter what I do, I cannot get him to shut up. I can’t plug my ears, I can’t yell back, and I certainly can’t pull over and get out. So I've just kept driving until I ran out of gas.
And now I need a lift.
People living with chronic immune dysfunction and pain disorders sometimes don't appear obviously in pain . As some of you know, I've dealt with mysterious physical issues for many years, but I didn't know how bad it could get until I made a huge move this year from Seattle to DC, thinking I was well.
I’ve been in pain every moment since last October, when the potential mix between a bug bite, a new work and home situation, allergies and strong antiobiotics made my health take a new twisted turn for the worse. All day, every day, pain is with me. And I cannot get rid of it. I’ve tried meditation, craniosacral therapy, medications, gastrointerological tests, massage, physical therapy, Bowen work, osteopathic adjustments, changes in diet, exercise, medical leave – and it all has cost me thousands of dollars. I’ve been to over 45 different medical specialists just in 2015 alone.
My body is trying to tell me something, and I've been trying to push through it going at the same pace as I'm used to, working hard in a career in social justice advocacy that I love. Until this month I'd been lucky enough to able to continue fighting for what I believe in, but this health crisis is preventing me from continuing that fight or even live a normal life. I'm in too much pain to sleep, too fatigued to get through typing these words right now.
It's time to really listen to my body and do what I need to finally figure out what's going on and make things right.
I have finally found a doctor who may have pieced everything together. After being diagnosed with a myriad of chronic illnesses and having lots of differing opinions and medications being thrown my way, I’m beyond excited to say there is hope and I want to give it all I’ve got.
I’ve been prescribed a special IV treatment that insurance does not cover that my doctor says may be the key to all of my interconnected symptoms. It is $175 each time, and I need a total of over 10 treatments this summer. I also have incurred thousands of dollars of medical debt from lab testing, visits, and manipulations that were not covered, and I cannot survive alone anymore.
To me, the most annoying sound in the world is hearing myself ask for help. So for months I’ve been faking it, hiding the fact that I wake up every day sick to my stomach. Pretending that opening a door or turning a faucet won’t send shooting pain through my hand and arm. Hoping that soon my heart will stop skipping beats and that I won’t be too exhausted to even think of walking a short distance.
America is an amazing place to live, but a terrible place to be sick. Our country and our policies have been crippled by a myopia that permits companies to put profits over people and public health. The cause of my health issues may well be related to an under-reported series of health epidemics resulting from our imbalanced ecosystem and climate change. I’ll know more of the root causes when I get test results for Lyme disease back (a $499 out-of-pocket test, my insurance company won't pay for tests that are effective for chronic Lyme).
Our healthcare system seems to be all about the short-term “fixes” that aren’t really fixes at all. I want real, sustainable solutions, not temporary stop-gap measures. Unfortunately, if you want to see doctors and get treatment that fix underlying causes, you usually end up having to pay hundreds of dollars because insurance companies tend to stray from covering any deviations from Western medicine, but if you want to get addicted to pain drugs, insurance will cover that.
Point is, I’m in a lot of medical debt and our healthcare system is putting me through the ringer, an experience to which I know many of you can relate. No matter how much you can pitch in, I appreciate it. And if you cannot pitch in money, I understand! It’s rough out there and there are plenty of worthy causes. Just you hearing my story is support enough.
I am never, ever, alone because my pain is ever present in my joints and organs. I’m also never alone because of you wonderful caring people out there, and I’m so thankful for the support I’ve already received. I’m exasperated and exhausted with the doctors who have not known what to do with me, who have prescribed the wrong medication or given the wrong diagnosis or treatment and have left me dealing with thousands in debt and worse pain than ever. I know I’m going to have to work hard to get my health back, but this is the best shot I have and I need you to help me take it. Please help me silence the annoying pain signals so that I can move on back to trying to address the world's cries for equity!
When I started this GoFundMe campaign, I was very uncomfortable with the idea of fundraising for myself. I want to work for policy change so that healthcare is affordable to all, rather than support solutions that involve people relying on the kindness of people's hearts, the money in their (friends') pockets, or the profit-driven insurance companies' mercy in order to survive.
The unfair truth is that many resources, including healthcare, housing, fair treatment by the criminal justice system, childcare, food and water access, etc. are still very inequitably distributed in this country and world. The determinants of whether or not a person has or gets these things do not involve how worthy or deserving they are of these rights; if somene can afford housing and makes a million dollars a month, that doesn't necessarily mean that they work harder or are smarter than someone who is without a permanant home and makes $7.50 an hour.
When I started this GoFundMe campaign, I did not know how it worked. I was skeptical and I disconnected it from facebook, thinking I would just email it to 15 people. It spread and I have connected with people and received more unexpected love than I could have imagined. It was scary opening up my situation for the world to see. But thanks to you, a weight has been lifted from my shoulders and I am able to afford treatment. And in a world where health epidemics are rising with greater complexity as our climate changes and the gap between the haves and have-nots widens, I think it's good to connect the dots by sharing our stories. You have no idea how many people (mostly young women, also dismissed by doctors) have contacted me because of this campaign who have been suffering in isolation with similar disabling symptoms. Something's going on - stay tuned for more analysis and investigation.
A month ago, I had been in pain for years with no end or answers or plan, and whatever plan doctors had suggested seemed impossible due to the massive medical debt that loomed above me. Now, I have a diagnosis that explains my whole life of symptoms and am receiving care that is addressing the root of my issues and builds the foundation for a lifetime of health. THANK YOU.
As I celebrate with a humbled and appreciative heart the incredible generosity that has led me here, I'm also thinking of the millions across the planet who don't even have access to internet, who may have a social network of five family members or none with less than $10 between them, who are casualties of the gross abuse of earth and labor in our distressed system of plunder that seems to be par for the (Koch and Trump golf) course right now.
Let's change the system. Affordable healthcare for all.
A chance at life for all!
Original campaign description from June 2015:
Have you ever heard the ‘most annoying sound in the world?’
Well, I feel like I’ve had a very annoying Jim Carrey screaming in my car as I drive through life for 8 months now. That’s over 240 days. No matter what I do, I cannot get him to shut up. I can’t plug my ears, I can’t yell back, and I certainly can’t pull over and get out. So I've just kept driving until I ran out of gas.
And now I need a lift.
People living with chronic immune dysfunction and pain disorders sometimes don't appear obviously in pain . As some of you know, I've dealt with mysterious physical issues for many years, but I didn't know how bad it could get until I made a huge move this year from Seattle to DC, thinking I was well.
I’ve been in pain every moment since last October, when the potential mix between a bug bite, a new work and home situation, allergies and strong antiobiotics made my health take a new twisted turn for the worse. All day, every day, pain is with me. And I cannot get rid of it. I’ve tried meditation, craniosacral therapy, medications, gastrointerological tests, massage, physical therapy, Bowen work, osteopathic adjustments, changes in diet, exercise, medical leave – and it all has cost me thousands of dollars. I’ve been to over 45 different medical specialists just in 2015 alone.
My body is trying to tell me something, and I've been trying to push through it going at the same pace as I'm used to, working hard in a career in social justice advocacy that I love. Until this month I'd been lucky enough to able to continue fighting for what I believe in, but this health crisis is preventing me from continuing that fight or even live a normal life. I'm in too much pain to sleep, too fatigued to get through typing these words right now.
It's time to really listen to my body and do what I need to finally figure out what's going on and make things right.
I have finally found a doctor who may have pieced everything together. After being diagnosed with a myriad of chronic illnesses and having lots of differing opinions and medications being thrown my way, I’m beyond excited to say there is hope and I want to give it all I’ve got.
I’ve been prescribed a special IV treatment that insurance does not cover that my doctor says may be the key to all of my interconnected symptoms. It is $175 each time, and I need a total of over 10 treatments this summer. I also have incurred thousands of dollars of medical debt from lab testing, visits, and manipulations that were not covered, and I cannot survive alone anymore.
To me, the most annoying sound in the world is hearing myself ask for help. So for months I’ve been faking it, hiding the fact that I wake up every day sick to my stomach. Pretending that opening a door or turning a faucet won’t send shooting pain through my hand and arm. Hoping that soon my heart will stop skipping beats and that I won’t be too exhausted to even think of walking a short distance.
America is an amazing place to live, but a terrible place to be sick. Our country and our policies have been crippled by a myopia that permits companies to put profits over people and public health. The cause of my health issues may well be related to an under-reported series of health epidemics resulting from our imbalanced ecosystem and climate change. I’ll know more of the root causes when I get test results for Lyme disease back (a $499 out-of-pocket test, my insurance company won't pay for tests that are effective for chronic Lyme).
Our healthcare system seems to be all about the short-term “fixes” that aren’t really fixes at all. I want real, sustainable solutions, not temporary stop-gap measures. Unfortunately, if you want to see doctors and get treatment that fix underlying causes, you usually end up having to pay hundreds of dollars because insurance companies tend to stray from covering any deviations from Western medicine, but if you want to get addicted to pain drugs, insurance will cover that.
Point is, I’m in a lot of medical debt and our healthcare system is putting me through the ringer, an experience to which I know many of you can relate. No matter how much you can pitch in, I appreciate it. And if you cannot pitch in money, I understand! It’s rough out there and there are plenty of worthy causes. Just you hearing my story is support enough.
I am never, ever, alone because my pain is ever present in my joints and organs. I’m also never alone because of you wonderful caring people out there, and I’m so thankful for the support I’ve already received. I’m exasperated and exhausted with the doctors who have not known what to do with me, who have prescribed the wrong medication or given the wrong diagnosis or treatment and have left me dealing with thousands in debt and worse pain than ever. I know I’m going to have to work hard to get my health back, but this is the best shot I have and I need you to help me take it. Please help me silence the annoying pain signals so that I can move on back to trying to address the world's cries for equity!
Organizer
Kaeley Pruitt-Hamm
Organizer
Washington D.C., DC