"LIFE, GAMING, AND FANDOM ON HRD MODE...."

Thanks for stopping in! Phil here. I'm an internet variety streamer of over 10 years, podcaster almost 2 years, and entertainer most of my life known to some as PHILSpecialMeter. As a person living with Sickle Cell Anemia Geno-type SS, my damaged red blood cells have taken a lot away from my body, and currently they seek to take my eyesight and my status as "housed" by the end of this month [Feb. 28, 2026] here in the City of Angels.

With a roommate departure middle of last year [2025], I've been figuring out how to move out of a two-bedroom apartment I could no longer afford. My core personal support system [fam / friends] are out of state. Financially / emotionally they have been great aid in my 4 years of LA life, however, their resources are not endless. Moving back to Michigan is impractical for a number of complex health-related reasons and I don't really have a support system here in Cali, outside of my amazing healthcare team as well as the Sickle Cell outreach non-profit organization, Cayenne Wellness Center, but there are limits to what even those teams can do for my personal circumstances.

In the midst of this struggle, last October, I would find out from an Ophthalmologist that Bilateral Proliferative Sickle Cell Retinopathy had set in; meaning, in both eyes, thanks to my damaged red blood cells, not enough oxygen got to my outer retina causing abnormal blood vessels to form and the oxygen starved areas of my retina to begin dying. Right now, it is only affecting my peripheral vision, some of which is lost. I have to have laser treatment to burn and fully kill those areas of my retina in effort to prevent the damage from spreading to my macula (the center of my eyes) causing permanent blindness.

From birth, I have operated out of a 24/7 deficit caused by over 7 comorbid chronic health conditions ranging from disease, neurological abnormalities, and psychiatric consequences that all require consistent ongoing medical treatment. Even now, new symptoms seem to pop up almost every month. Trying to manage my ever evolving (sometimes deteriorating) health status with medical visits and / or healthcare professional communications every week, while trying to find a new home is running me into the ground. I have housing prospects, but apparently my car needs to be repaired, recently a person delivering my groceries decided to steal them instead, due to my current health conditions I need to hire a moving team, and also pay a new deposit, rent, utilities... you get it.

I have some of the funds, but not nearly enough. And even if I did...

I don't have the physical vigor & mental bandwidth to manage everything on my own as I would prefer. I also don't know what treatment, recovery, and vision changes will mean for me and my functionality at this critical time.

Here's where you can help: By sharing this fundraiser and/or donating to this personal relief fund to help ease the burden, your contribution [ongoing or one-time], keeps my special meter charged enough to continue through everyday's never-ending-battle. I can stay housed and healthy enough to continue my online quest to foster a community of entertaining creativity, empathetic support, educational empowerment, ethical activism, encouraged self worth, and everlasting visibility for marginalized people. I mean, I'm making it sound all lofty and important; really we do A LOT of silly stuff on my channels... still, the other stuff is baked in there.

I am constantly working on more sustainable methods of managing cost of living with disabling conditions burning holes in my pocket and my mental bandwidth; it's partially why I work in the more flexible realm of entertainment. I appreciate anyone who helps this campaign in whatever way you can. Below is more contextual information about what I do online. Stay charged, y'all!

"One sky, one destiny."

PHILSpecialMeter: Actor. Martial Artist. Stubborn Underdog HRD Mode Gamer. Variety Streamer. Podcaster. Sometimes Singer. All the time Huge Geek. Pro Husky Cuddler.

Together with an incredible community I've been fortunate enough to help foster, we've raised well over $2,100 for Sickle Cell Anemia support & research, educated viewers on chronic illnesses, advocated for mental health, and centered marginalized communities in a positive atmosphere where everyone gets to be a valid and cherished human being, without qualifier. All in effort to live up to the video game pun that is my name, and build each other up with positive energy to pull off the special moves we need to face the boss battles ahead.

... Mostly... We play games, do silliness, get real geeky, and talk about [nearly] every aspect of life under the sun.

Please, know you are invited to reach out for more context on my situation. I realistically won't manage to respond to everybody individually, but I endeavor to provide update posts.

To see me in action:

HRD MODE SELECTED