Just after Thanksgiving, our friend Ana Blue had a terrible fall, severely injuring both ankles, leaving her unable to walk. She is now wheelchair bound. She can't return to her 4th floor apartment, go to work at her day job, run her small business, or see her beloved cat, Nietzsche, who is receiving expensive treatment for both kidney and thyroid disease.

Because of a botched discharge plan and lack of care, she has to stay in her in-law's home and her husband Jon has also been unable to work, as he has been providing full time care and support for Ana. Having no income at the holidays is hard enough, but this is on top of an already difficult situation since Ana was one of thousands of workers in NYC's public schools who were forced to return much needed unemployment benefits at the height of the pandemic because she was told months later she was ineligible for the funds she received, despite no assurances schools would be open and/or fully staffed.

At the start of this school year, she got a long-term placement at a great school where she was able to use her skills and was working to repay her pandemic unemployment, but now she will likely be unable to walk or work for months. She was also recently informed she is ineligible for disability while she recovers. She and Jon have been trying to navigate this disaster on their own for a month so let's give them a little boost to get Ana home and healing and literally back on her feet!

In addition to lost income, they will need help paying for uncovered medical expenses; including a possible ankle surgery and home health aides, which likely will be many thousands of dollars. Any funds raised beyond day-to-day needs will go toward paying back NY State unemployment.