Meg Needs Our Help!
My friend, Meg, reached out recently and asked for help. You may remember this Juneau girl, Meghan Frances- Grunow H. I served with her on the Cancer Connection board when she was working at the Juneau radio station. She’s a college grad, a wonderful artist, a true and compassionate friend. She has been one of my prayer warriors. In 2009 as I retired, Meg’s life changed forever. She contracted the H1N1 virus, the swine flu, and the aching never left. Physiologically compromised she has learned years later of a severe B12 deficiency. Her nervous system was losing its protective layer and a fibromyalgia diagnosis consumed her life. She moved south, first to Oregon and eventually to Southern California in search of warmth. Her care providers thought it might help with symptom control. Her journey from “normal“ to “homelessness” is tragic and a statement of two Americas. Those of us that are fine and those that are overlooked, ignored and find no safety-net in our systems. Meg was homeless for a year and a half. Her 25 yr old Camry was her only home for 7 months. It was an exhausting and traumatic time. Two years ago she secured an inexpensive rental and has gotten an emotional support dog named “Foxy Queen”. She continues to be a freelance writer. Meg was diagnosed with Level 2 Autism( she’s a great example of “the female autism phenotype“) over a year ago. She was devastated, but explains some of her behavior. She’s had two neurological breaks. She’s been “faking normal” as she’s tried to navigate daily living but has found her self in an unhealthy, totally isolated world. She’s high-risk in the pandemic, prone to panic attacks, public meltdowns and cries endlessly. She just wants her brain back.
I reached out to Meg after a comment on Facebook that I read as suicidal. I know Meg lost her mom to her own hand, and I shared I had lost my sister. Her words scared me and I had to ask her about her intentions. I know reaching out to her six months ago has locked us in a tight friendship and I truly want to help her. Alaska has been a lifeline of support as she knows few folks in her new community. She’s been bullied by neighbors, isolating her further. She struggles to meditate, calm herself and heal. It is a huge struggle just navigating basic life. When we talked last week she had about six weeks of resources left in the bank until she potentially faced homelessness again. She knew she could default on rent because of Covid protections, but chose not to. That’s Meg. Doing the right thing. Meg needs more than Medicaid and a 72 hour hold in the mental health ward to recover. She’s in need of a therapist that understands autism, trauma, PTSD. She needs time to heal and not feel the pressure of scrambling for rent.There’s an 11 year waitlist for subsidized housing. She needs to get Foxy vet care and pet food and she needs a chance to breathe and find an advocate in the adult autistic community. Her monthly expenses are about $2000 my goal is to raise six months of expenses-$12,000. She’s paying her bills, she’s writing as she can, but she’s not making progress. She needs our love and financial help right now. It takes a village sometimes to save a soul. I’m asking you to help this 38 yr old, talented, amazing woman. The category may be medical illness or financial emergency, but really it’s: “Help Meg heal and progress ”. Truly the healthcare system has failed her and she has worked really hard navigating from homelessness to beginning recovery. She still needs some help. Please give with a generous heart, share her story with your compassionate friends. With love and gratitude, I am positive we together, can make a difference in this young woman’s life.
