Katie's Depression Relief Fund

My name is Katie McCusker. I live in Houston, TX. I have major depressive disorder and have been on leave from work since June. I had thought during this time  I could use the short-term disability policy I purchased through my job to cover expenses. However, I just found out last week that due to my history of depression the insurance company will most likely deny my claim based on a preexisting condition. 


Around early June, I became severely depressed and suicidal, so I checked myself into the psychiatric hospital. On my first day there, I had called to file a short-term disability claim.  Despite my getting an early start, my application was delayed because of my doctor taking an unusually long time to fill out the physician’s form. That was a struggle in itself, getting the form filled out, which ultimately resulted in my asking for a new doctor. It was not until September 11, almost three months after I went into the hospital, that I received the completed form back. I have not been approved by my doctor to go to work until October 31. 


I have been without any source of income for four and half months. At the start of my leave, I had a very small amount of savings to live off of but that’s long gone. For the past year, I had been donating plasma to earn extra cash, but because of a severe psoriasis flareup, I have been banned from doing so ever again. That revenue stream is gone. I literally have no money. I am behind in all my bills and have no way to pay for any expense.


With treatment I am doing much better but am still faced with the daily struggle of not having any income. I am not usually the type to ask for help, but I have exhausted all other resources. If you could support my GoFundMe by making a donation and then sharing it with your network, I would greatly appreciate it. I know that money can be tight, so please know that even $5 helps. Let me know if you have any questions and I will be happy to answer them.