<div>TW: caregiver abuse, s*icidal ideation 


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<div>Mari has Severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, and is trapped in a dangerous situation with a highly abusive “caregiver” who she is completely physically dependent on. 


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<div>The ongoing abuse is keeping Mari in a Severe state with no chance of recovery. 


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<div>Severe ME is a devastating disabling multisystemic neuroimmune disease often described as a ‘living death’. Despite this grave level of illness, many housebound patients like Mari lack the care and symptom-relieving treatment necessary to reduce preventable suffering.


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<div>There is no cure or licensed treatments for ME. Patients with severe ME require aggressive rest, assistance with daily needs, and a safe, stress free home environment to give their health a chance at stabilising. 


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<div>Mari is completely reliant on daily care to meet her survival needs, but she’s been experiencing ongoing neglect, a lack of adequate care, and extreme abuse from her caregiver. She has been isolated in this abuse ever since the onset of her ME, which rapidly deteriorated her into a Severe state which she’s been suffering in ever since. Without her caregiver she wouldn’t be able to access her daily survival needs and would immediately begin to deteriorate further from the added exertion, but staying with this caregiver she is unable to improve her health along with experiencing daily suicidal ideation due to the ongoing abuse, therefore she ultimately also will not survive unless she manages to escape this horrific situation soon.


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<div>Mari does not have any other friends or family who are able to help care for her, and adequate government funded care is no longer an option for the majority of disabled Canadians due to the entire medical field being severely understaffed. There are also no shelters that can provide safe accommodations for a Severe ME patient. 


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<div><strong>Mari has been trapped and suffering in this dangerous situation for over half a decade without any realistic way out. </strong>


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<div>The intensity of this abuse is rapidly increasing, and Mari is in PHYSICAL DANGER. Mari has been physically attacked and seriously injured by her abuser several times. 


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<div>Police involvement has only caused further trauma for Mari and has also caused her to contract illness as they do not mask. Emergency services cannot intervene and should not be contacted. 


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<div>Community support is our last hope for Mari!


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<div><strong>— If we can successfully reach HALF of this fundraising goal by the end of MARCH 2026, Mari will finally have the opportunity to escape. </strong>


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<div><strong>— The other half must be raised by the end of SEPTEMBER 2026 so that Mari has access to care and medical needs once she moves out.</strong>


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<div>Mari desperately needs ongoing funds for secure housing, moving expenses, healthy and accessible food, household items, medical supplies and paid care. 


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<div>The goal is to get Mari to safety within the next year, and reduce the extreme mental and physical strains of this ongoing trauma in the meantime. 


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<div>The target fundraising goal is what is needed for Mari to escape, successfully live alone and maintain her health and nutrition both before and after. All costs in CAD:


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<li><strong>$33.8K for 12 months of paid care (this equates to 2.5 hours of care/day at $38 per hour) so that Mari can survive on her own.</strong>


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<li>$7.7K for specialised accessible moving services.


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<li>$3.6K for 6 months meal delivery service.


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<li>$6K for 12 months basic needs including groceries and household items.


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<li>$3K for 6 months prescriptions and medical supplies. 


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<li>$10.4K for a year of essential medical appointments including transportation. 


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<div>The total goal is $64,500 CAD ($46,789 USD/£34,690)


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<div>Adequate financial support would give her a chance to find a new living situation and become independent from her abuser so she can finally have a chance to stabilize and improve her health. 


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<div>Mari is deeply appreciative of all the support she has received and continues to receive, and is holding onto hope that our community will continue to support her and make this goal a reality.


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<div>Thank you so much for taking the time to hear Mari’s story and for contributing to her recovery.


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<div>NB it is essential Mari stays anonymous for their own safety hence why there are no photos of Mari and we aren’t using her real name. Numerous people who are helping with these fundraising efforts know Mari personally and can vouch for her and the reality of her situation. 


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<div><strong>More information on myalgic encephalomyelitis:</strong>


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<div>Severe ME is often described as a living death and despite this extreme level of illness many housebound patients like Mari still lack the homecare, support and symptom relieving treatment necessary to reduce preventable suffering. To learn more about ME please check out <a href="https://www.meaction.net" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a><a href="https://www.meaction.net/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a><a href="https://www.meaction.net/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://www.meaction.net/" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.meaction.net/</a></a> 


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Anonymous

Claire Shepherd

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Ellen Gudem Wilberg

Help a Severe ME patient safely escape her abuser

Help a Severe ME patient safely escape her abuser

Still $21,429 to go. Help us build momentum.