Queer Immunocompromised Survival Fund

February 2022: hi y’all, posting an update here — as many of y’all know: I’ve recently started a new job (grateful to all who stuck their necks out for me!).

As it stands, we are still slogging through insurance and medical costs currently as Mimi has had to take a lot of time off work for treatment the last few months. We are very grateful to all who’ve donated previously. Every little bit helps with the new medications and various imaging and tests that keep being heaped our way. Thank you a million!

September 2022: The past few months have been particularly challenging for us. Mimi's medical expenses sucked up any excess income. Between multiple exploratory surgeries/procedures and the newest covid booster, she hasn't been able to pick up the freelance gigs that we've been relying on in recent months.

The positive piece of this is that we are finally closing in on a diagnosis and treatment plan! The most recent test results showed extreme swelling and inflammation from Mimi's esophagus to her colon. That's inflammation in every one of her body systems, which yes sounds terrible, but it helps narrow down her diagnosis. We are waiting on biopsy results to rule out cancer entirely but should things continue as her medical team suspects, we are looking at a multisystem inflammatory condition that can be treated with one (fingers crossed) or two immunosuppressants.

In the meantime, she's continuing on the medication that isn't really working and taking prednisone when she absolutely has to. What blows is, basically the worst thing for someone whose immune system is attacking their body a spouse who attends multiple in-person job interviews weekly. Mimi's doctors have "highly recommended" that I remain remote / work from home until we've solidified a treatment plan, which has made this job hunt and career transition even more difficult.

To anyone who knew Mimi at the end of her time at USC, as vibrant and full of energy as that place made her, to say she is a different being is an understatement. This condition has taken so much from her and, at a time when she desperately needs rest, her being financially responsible for our entire family has taken away from her recovery time and healing. Yet the fact remains that I've been out of work since February, and we've slowly eaten away all the savings we'd managed to accrue and have essentially been hemorrhaging money on medical treatment. Mimi's private student loan repayments are relentless, and honestly, being disabled in this country was expensive before the arrival of a virus that has made more everything dangerous for her.

So to be completely honest, we can't afford our rent for October. I'm applying to every job I come across, and we've both done everything we can to solve this, but we've run out of options. It's humbling to be in the position of having tried everything I can and still have no options. We need help making ends meet through the end of October, so we are reaching out to our family and friends for extra support.

We appreciate any amount you can offer and are grateful to each and every one of you for helping us through these troubling times.