Hello Friends!

I am in need of your help. I have recieved some bad news. I am losing my ability to walk due to arthritis. This arthritis is in my hips and lower spine. It is also ascending. Already there are some days I cannot get around at all, and many days where I need a cane, or should be using one.

Today, I got some results back from a doctor and the news was pretty bad. My hips are to the point where any amount of walking will continue to damage them. Furthermore, the doctor was "genuinely surprised [I'm] walking," and "concerned at the amount of pain [I'm] ignoring." And to the doctor's credit, I do generally ignore how much it hurts to walk around. I have unfortunately, needed to learn how to. Sadly, the arthritis and degeneration is progressing (meaning it's getting worse). Even more sadly, the progression is accelerating compared to previous years.

I will likely need a wheelchair full-time within 3-5 years.

I know $5,000 may seem like an absurd amount for a wheel chair, but I have included a photo of the wheelchair I am aiming towards getting. This one will get me anywhere, and without any difficulty. It is also foldable, so I can shove it in the back seat while I drive. It is designed to hold my weight as well as any weight I may gain as a result of using a wheelchair more (the doctor said I probably should have been using one for the last few months at the very least, if not a few years). This one will last me many years, and hopefully by then insurance will have learned to play nice and be willing to cover a replacement.

Because insurance is unwilling to cover this expense, and I certainly don't have the money, I need your help. Please, every penny counts - truly. The faster I can raise this money the faster I will be able to get my wheelchair and begin getting around with less pain, and less hassle.

Thank you in advance, friends and strangers alike. Your help is going to make a world of difference for me.