Dear friends, family, and beloveds:

 As a lot of you know, I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which is a connective tissue disorder that causes, among other things, frequent dislocations and subluxations of joints both large and small (shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, and ribs are some of my most frequent offenders), all of which causes a great deal of both acute and chronic pain. My worst offender, however, is a great deal more painful than any of them: my spine, most of which is deteriorating more quickly and more painfully than the rest of my body in ways I can no longer treat with conservative measures.

 There’s a more thorough explanation of my history down below, but the very short version is this: I’ve been increasingly incapacitated by pain and immobility in my neck, but there is a multiple disc replacement surgery that can improve my mobility (both in my neck and in my increasingly weakened left arm) and my quality of life that my neurosurgeon wants to perform as soon as possible.

Due to its prohibitively high cost, I need to ask for help in making that happen.

I’ve had to reschedule this surgery once already to buy time for more help from my insurance and hospital programs, but it’s looking increasingly likely that despite trying a series of alternate routes, I’m not going to be able to change what I have to pay for it. In just the month that’s transpired since its original scheduled date, my condition has gotten a lot worse, and I’m desperately hoping to be able to pay at least the upfront hospital fee for the surgery and the few days of care afterwards, so that I don’t need to reschedule again and further risk my future. In my wildest dreams, I could pay for the entire thing, grappling just with rehab and physical therapy afterwards, but for now, I’m requesting the amount of money I need to allow me to proceed with my surgery on August 16th. 

In short: I’m here to ask for your help in funding a surgery that will vastly change my quality of life and my ability to spend time with my family without suffering excruciating pain, and perhaps prevent (or at least delay) a far more painful series of surgeries that are my only alternatives.

Some of you may remember that a few years ago, I asked for assistance in keeping my hospital bills in check enough to ensure that I’d be able to be re-admitted when I needed in-hospital care. I was able to raise enough money to keep me going from people in my life (and, in some cases, friends of friends) who found my story sympathetic, and it made an enormous difference in my life: I could afford to keep up with my hospital bills for the few months that were critical in getting me to a much better place, and they allowed me to get the kind of care that eventually led to my being hospitalized with far less frequency.

You all made my healing possible, and I continue to be so, so grateful for your help. I am working hard to counter feelings of shame (though I’m working hard to prevent this from limiting me) for asking so much of my community more than once, but friends and family have told me that there is no shame in asking for help more than once while working within the confines of a broken system and a body that needs a lot of care to maintain, so that’s what I’m here to do: ask for help.

 Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to any of you who might be able to contribute; every little bit counts, no matter how small. Whether you are able to contribute or not, if you have the opportunity to signal boost my request, I would deeply appreciate that as well. I am fortunate enough to be a part of several communities who take excellent care of each other, and you all have already done so much for me in so many ways and provided all kinds of support; in turn, I have tried to do my part when others are in need. No matter the size or scale, I promise that anything you are able to give will be life-changing to me. Thank you for your consideration and support - it truly means the world to me, my family, and my community.