SOS: Help Save Sean's Smile

Hello Friends,

Pardon my little rant here, but to begin— I really need help.

TLDR: help me raise some funds so I can finally exhale, fix my teeth, and jump start my next chapter. Venmo me directly @Sean-Connell-117 or donate down below if you can. If you want to know why now and what the money is for… read on but CW/TW….

I tend to never ever ask for help. I’m fiercely independent and my broken brain sees asking for help as a weakness even though that’s not what I preach. I am at my wits end and I need to remember community is everything. My entire soul is exhausted. I do as much as I can for everyone around me- friends, family, coworkers, my students, my mentees, strangers, and the greater Fall River community at large. I’ve raised money for various causes and other people’s GoFundMe. But it has to be my turn now.

Losing my mom in 2017 shattered me. I tried to bounce back, but it’s been extremely difficult. By the time NYE 2020 rolled around, I took an attempt on my own life. I was just too exhausted by everything and satisfied with how far I had made it in life. As a kid, I never thought I’d make it past 30. I knew that most people recall me fondly, I was proud of the work I had gotten done, and I was ready to meet my maker. Life had become too overbearing against the exhaustion of my soul. And yet… the universe had other plans for me. So I began again but was still just tired. Then the world shut down with COVID-19 and I was allowed to just be a reckless kid again, eating in everyday, smoking too much, and playing video games. In the last few years since then, I have struggled to get back my spark, my joy, and my zest for life.

I’m working hard to reignite myself, but something always keeps me from doing so. And it’s always finances. I love the work I do, but I don’t get paid enough to even have savings. My income against my bills barely break even. Bills then mount and life is expensive.

I’m asking for this money for several things. The first $15,000 is just to let me breathe: it pays off all my utilities, two credit cards, and one personal loan. It also allows me to fix up my car which has fallen into disrepair with a broken window, a broken key & lock, a broken AC, and a new check engine light. If my car repairs become too costly, then this helps me put a down payment on a new car. And with my personal loan paid off, I could finance the rest through my credit union. This goal post allows me to- at the very least- begin fixing my next issue…

Which many of you may know…

My teeth need to be fixed. I’m in constant pain. I hate smiling because I hate my smile. This is what my personal loan was for, but it was a stop measure. Because the remaining work is largely considered cosmetic, it’s not covered by insurance and has a price tag in and of itself of $10-20k depending on how many implants I wish to do. I wish to fix all of them. I’ve had crappy teeth my entire life including having to have five baby teeth removed when I was 17. It hasn’t gotten better from there. Then there’s my overall physical health which I’ve ignored for a really long time. I’m hearty but I don’t live a healthy lifestyle. Between budget constraints and the cost of medical care should I need even one referral, I haven’t gone for a basic physical in over ten years. I can’t keep living like this.

I am doing everything I can to mitigate my financial woes on my own, but I can’t seem to catch a break. I work four jobs (one full time and three part time) just to make ends meet. I’ve applied to many positions to earn a higher salary and haven’t had any luck. Every time I try to save, there’s a death in the family, a new bill, something in my car breaks, a tooth needs an emergency fix. I have no inheritances and had to GoFundMe just to bury my mother. I have no pending lawsuits, no lottery winnings, no well to do family members. It’s just me against the world. And I want to be here, but not like this.

I want to go to law school. I want to continue to push the envelope towards progress for all. I want to stand up to the misinformed and misguided, especially when it comes to LGBTQ issues. I want to write a book. I want to run for office again. I’d love to be able to buy a house someday. With only about 20 payments to go on my student loans forgiveness, I can taste financial freedom, but I just can’t achieve it without help.

I’m calling on my networks, friends, family, and supporters to please help me out. All I really need is this financial support to fully gather myself and push forward. I need to be reminded of my hopefully good karma; all the people I’ve ever helped, thoughtfully talked to, birthday presents, wedding gifts, rides, etc. If I’ve ever moved you or helped you, I’m asking for your support now.

Please share this as you can if you cannot donate. Please donate if you can. Help me recharge so I can charge forward and continue the work of healing myself, healing my community, and healing this world. Thank you. ❤️