Help Morgan keep their apartment!

For the last four years, I’ve been fighting with a medical condition that multiple doctors have failed to properly diagnose and treat. In September of 2019, I had to leave work and have since been reliant on the disability benefits provided by my last workplace, but as of Jan 18, 2024 they have decided to suddenly revoke my support, leaving me without a source of income. I desperately need enough to pay rent, utilities, and food… let alone any more medical expenses. While I have applied to government sponsored disability, it took a year and a half for them to tell me no (they estimated 4-6 months) based off of outdated information, and while the appeal process has started, there is no telling when they will get back to me. In the early days, I got support from my father and friends, but they are cannot sustainably continue to cover my finances and their own, which is what has lead to now.

Heya, my name is Morgan!

I’m a trans woman who loves computers, games, and storytelling. In the past I have worked as a chef, a computer and phone repair technician (for a well-known brand), as well as in retail and have a bachelor’s degree in filmmaking. All I ever wanted was to share stories and make things that make people happy and give them hope, as these were the things I needed when I was growing up.

Since leaving work, I’ve had three surgeries and tried out several medicines in the hope that my pain would subside enough for me to be able to live again. While I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis in 2021, the pain I deal with on a daily basis is beyond what they expect from the condition, especially in someone who is 30 years old (that’s how old I am!), so I have been bounced from doctor to doctor with no definitive path to healing or mitigation.

So to explain my condition more plainly…

Since I’m asking for help, I think it’s best you know how I am affected every day and why I cannot work. The main sources of pain for me are my right hip, my spine, and to a lesser extent, my hands. This has severely limited my mobility and overall functionality of my hands, to the point that I have to walk with the assistance of a cane and some days cannot use one or both of my hands for anything more than eating/drinking simple meals… my friends even pitched in together for a wheelchair so I can be out for slightly longer when needed. Sitting upright for more than 30 minutes at a time or walking for more than 10-15 minutes at a time causes severe, long-lasting pain in both my hip and spine that often requires laying down or applying ice (while laying down) to recover.

I attempted to return to work in early 2021, and since I could not complete my duties and had to miss/be sent home early so often, they were threatening termination with me if I could not get an approved medical leave. We attempted a desk-based work from home position as well, but my sitting and hand limitations made me incapable of performing as expected as well. I was forced to return to medical leave only 5 months later and after a year of being able to return to work, they terminated me due to my disability. My severance included long-term disability payments provided through my life-insurance benefits, and they are the ones who have now terminated my payouts. Their appeal process is about six months at minimum, and I simply have no savings to lean on anymore.

In summary, I need money to cover my expenses until I can find an actual long-term solution to my finances. I’m trying to ask conservatively because honestly I’m tired of asking for help and money for so long. I would not ask if I didn’t need this.