I was recently diagnosed with severe Cervical Spinal Stenosis, and was scheduled to have a Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fustion procedure on August 5th. I need to have this surgery urgently because my neck has straightened leading to my spine slowly crushing Spinal Cord. In the present, this has led to loss of feeling in the left side of my body; if unaddressed for much longer, it will lead to permanent neurological damage. Unfortunately, I had to postpone my previous surgery date because my roommate lied about the status of their finances, and subsequently decided to not pay their portion of our collective bills, resulting in our landlord taking eviction action. Since then, my roommate has been unreachable by either myself or our landlord for about a month.

I’ve been able to work out a deal with my apartment manager that will get me off of this shared lease, allowing me to move to another unit. In order to make this happen, I’ll have to pay off what my roommate owes in conjunction with a litany of other charges. Once all of this is said and done, I will be multiple thousands of dollars in the hole, which is money that I desperately need.

While, my housing situation has been addressed in the short term, the financial burden has created additional instability. I’m currently scheduled to have surgery in mid-September, and during that period I will have a reduced income because I’ll be on short-term disability due to being on medical leave. This could jeopardize my ability to maintain stable housing until I’m able to recoup the funds over time. However, this is a tough proposition; as things stand, my current income will allow me to maintain housing and my other bills. However, as things stand, I will not have the means to feed myself, pay for transport to and from the hospital, or my post-operative appointment. Additionally, I will not have the money to purchase basic household needs such as cleaning supplies, toiletries, dinnerware, and other basic necessities.

On top of all of this, I’m in the process of going back to school, and the current financial instability puts those plans in jeopardy.

I’m asking for assistance to get through the next few months safely so that I can have my surgery and heal in a safe environment. This should require about $2.5-3 thousand dollars to assist in covering the aforementioned needs. Any surplus past what’s needed for housing will go towards my academic endeavors.

I've included a reference photo of what a healthy spine looks like, as well as images of mine for comparison.

Thank you for your help!

-Lawrence