Please help me make this a happy birthday this July, my goose is cooked with a massive and unexpected medical expense.

Please know even $5 is huge to me (see last paragraph).

I have a very large, very unexpected medical bill for over $2,800 from my new arthritis infusions and medical care that UCLA financial aid will not cover. I have to stop all of my treatment until I can pay this amount, and I can't even come close to affording it even breaking it into monthly payments.

So the whole story is I relocated to LA in April this year specifically for medical treatment at UCLA where I have established specialists, because I have a number of Lupus, arthritis, and GI issues that have spiraled in the last year.

My Lupus has been flaring since May 2023, and I have had an ongoing SIBO infection since June 2023 that only allows me to eat once a day, twice if I am lucky. I quit teaching dance in May 2023 except in November 2023, which leads us to December....

Beginning December 2023, I had severe onset of arthritis in my feet. It is constant pain that affects my walking, and forget dancing. I can't even wear regular sneakers. UCLA podiatry said that the MRI of my feet looks like a 65 year old with arthritis.

UCLA Rheumatology tried to increase my prednisone (the cheap Lupus medication I have been on for 8 years), and I fell off the rails further. My body can no longer handle the corticosteroids and it made the SIBO infection flare to the same severity it was last summer. I'm a different person than when I moved in just April from this.

So rheumatology had to start an IV biologic to stop the arthritis. For all the risks, I couldn't mentally handle more disability and being more physically limited, and more and more socially isolated as a result.

For what it's worth, after three doses my feet are getting better and in less pain. But maybe for nothing with this financial aid issue.

Now, prior to my move to LA, I had received 100% medical financial aid from both Cleveland Clinic and St. Luke's in Boise since 2020 based on my social security income.

Based on all available information on UCLA's financial aid website, I qualified for 100% financial aid. I applied while I still lived in Idaho, but they wouldn't process it at UCLA until I had a bill. So I had to move and find out, but I thought, why wouldn't they cover me?

It turns out they won't help me the way Cleveland Clinic and St. Luke's have.

UCLA requires that I spend 10% of my annual income on medical bills before they will kick in 100% financial aid. 10% of my social security disability is $2,865.60.

My current UCLA bill is already over $2,900 with my three arthritis IV infusions and my other medical care and imaging. You would think when my bill hits over 10% of my income they would help, but no. I have to pay this amount.

As you can imagine, with my move to LA and fixed disability income, I couldn't come up with this even if I had a year to save. I budgeted every month down to the last dime, and I don't have any expenses I can cut. My frills in my new LA life to this point had been going to Daiso and spending $15/month, but that goes away too now.

I really need your help.

It's very scary to ask for help, I don't know that anyone will respond. I hate to say I don't believe I have worth and value just as a person, but when you can't work a regular job, can't participate in dance class, can't post online, and can't teach classes, I don't know if there's anyone left out there.

So that's why any amount you can help means something, it means I still count to other people even though I can't give of myself.