Hi all - if you don't know me, my name is Grace Hardin. I live with chronic illnesses on both the medical and mental health side (including but unfortunately not limited to POTS and complex PTSD) that have caused me to be unable to work for approximately the past year and a half.

I have been incredibly lucky to have had support through a long-term disability plan, but my claim was recently dropped (two months ago) without notice or changes in protocol. My providers are all working overtime on the appeals processes, but so far we have made no progress with the carrier, and the claim remains concerningly “mishandled” (and I am far from the only one with recent stories like this). As much as I would genuinely love to work in any capacity, my attempts at even remote work for 5-10 hours/week have not been consistently manageable for me.

During the appeals process, I've been able to sell what I can, find support for my pets through what Greenville County has been able to provide, and withdraw on anything I can, but even these have only lasted so long. So: this is an incredibly difficult request for me to make, but I am now humbly looking for external help. My aim is to raise only enough to cover the next few months of housing, groceries, health insurance, continued appointments, and medications. By this time, the claim will either have been successfully appealed, fully closed, or submitted for further proceedings.

There is so much going on in the world right now, and because I am one story of many, any funds that are unnecessary beyond these two months, including if my benefits are reinstated, will be donated between United Way as well as Safe Harbor, a local charity close to my heart that supports victims of domestic violence by providing emergency resources.

Thank you for your kindness in reading.