Please help bail out two people that are sinking

Hi, my name is Ed, and I prepared this fundraising appeal for a man and woman that are in serious financial trouble. By doing so I am going against their expressed wishes because they are too proud to ask for help. Since I am not too proud to ask (or beg) for help, I decided to proceed anyway because I don't see any other viable option. Their problems are bigger than my wife and I can solve on our own. Both have major medical issues and are drowning in debt. The graphic I picked for this appeal was intentional. We are all in this together and we should not sit back and do nothing to help while others are struggling.

Before I go into more detail, I want you to understand what I am asking for.

First, I am asking each person to commit one dollar ($1.00) to this appeal. because I believe that many small acts of self-sacrificial love can produce astounding results. My primary inspiration for this approach came from a quote by Edward Everett Hale.

“I am only one, but still, I am one. I cannot do everything, but still, I can do something and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”

You are welcome to give more, but I am only asking for one dollar.

Second, assuming you believe this is a legitimate appeal, I ask that you forward it to everyone you know. I cannot overemphasize how important it is to share this appeal because the only way the goal amount can be achieved is if a large number of people give a small amount. This means that you will need to take the time to forward the link to all your friends and family, which is probably going to be more burdensome to you than giving one dollar. This appeal can only achieve its goal if everyone is willing to inconvenience themselves by sharing the link with as many people as possible.

Background

To maintain their anonymity I have not displayed their picture and will use only their initials. JP (male) was employed as a heavy machine operator building the border wall. He lost his job in September 2020 when he began experiencing neurological problems affecting his gross and fine motor skills. The employer let him go since he could no longer operate heavy machinery, which meant he lost his only source of income and health insurance. Both his parents live in a retirement home, and he had no other family that could take him in. He contacted an old friend who was recently widowed. CW (female) lost her husband in June 2020 and was living on Social Security Disability/Survivor benefits. Her disability is caused by a congenital heart problem, which has weakened her heart to about 35% of normal capacity. She allowed JP to move into the extra bedroom of her apartment because he had no other place to go. She used up her meager savings (and borrowed money) on medical testing and treatments for JP. His condition remains undiagnosed, and they have no money for further medical intervention. He applied for Social Security Disability which has been denied three times. JP attempted several jobs over the past couple of years but the employers only keep him for a few days because he is no longer able to do physically demanding work. I don’t have an exact figure, but my best estimate is that they are approximately $40,000 in debt. The majority of that debt is medical-related. My wife and I have paid their October, November, and January rent. Yesterday I discovered CW took out a loan to pay the December rent instead of contacting me first. She was so desperate she took the loan with an atrociously high-interest rate. She made her first payment on the loan in late December, but still owes more than the amount borrowed. Yesterday (01/06/23) my wife and I visited the “loan shark” and paid off the debt. The annual percentage rate was 85.79%, which is the worst case of usury I have ever seen. Other people have assisted with small donations of food and money, but these are just bandages on a much bigger problem. Many of the services in their area will not assist because she makes too much money. Her reduced rent is $935, but when you add her monthly bills the total far exceeds her monthly disability payment ($1,740). On January 5, 2023, I spent two hours reviewing their financial situation, and I have no doubt they are on the brink of total financial collapse. The only way they have survived this long is by juggling minimum payments and paying late fees. I felt it was necessary to begin working on this appeal to address the debt. If the debt can be addressed that will make a huge impact on their overall financial situation. My pastor is attempting to find a pro-bono attorney that will help with JP’s disability appeal process because that would provide another income source along with Medicare. If these two objectives can be achieved I am confident they can reach a modest level of financial stability. In a perfect world, the entire debt would be paid, and there would be some left over to provide a cushion for emergencies.

I could probably write a book, but I think it is evident that something needs to be done. I have never done any crowdfunding before, so I have no way of knowing what to expect. All I know is I woke up this morning with an overwhelming urge to create this appeal. As a Christian, I understand that to be the promptings of the Holy Spirit. If you are not a believer, you would probably call it a gut feeling. instinct, or intution. Either way, I had to try something. I would rather try and fail than fail to try. This could be a raving success or a total failure. I guess it depends on how each of you reacts to what I have shared here. I will understand if you decide not to participate. You don’t know anything about me or the people I am attempting to help. Some of you might think this is a total scam. I get that. If you are convinced this is real I only ask for one dollar and the time it will take you to share this with as many people as possible. That’s all I can do. The rest is in God’s hands. Thank you for hearing me out and giving this situation your consideration.