I’m a 61-year-old disabled elder facing the sudden loss of my home due to an 85% rent increase. Your support will help me stay housed, cover moving or housing-related costs, and regain stability while I continue healing and working toward self-sufficiency.

Hi, my name is Alena, and I am reaching out because I am facing the very real possibility of becoming houseless.

In 2016, while I was in graduate school, my health suddenly and severely declined. My organs began to shut down, I was unable to eat, sleep, and I experienced debilitating headaches, brain fog, difficulty walking, and constant pain. I was forced to leave school and lost my job. I tried to survive by taking on part-time care-giving work, but my body could not sustain it.

For years, doctors were unable to determine what was wrong. I was eventually diagnosed with fibromyalgia, but treatments did not help. I went from medical doctors to naturopaths, searching for answers. Finally, a naturopath truly listened to me and asked a simple question no one else had asked: “Have you ever had an ultrasound?” I hadn’t.

That ultrasound revealed a deep vein thrombosis (blood clot) that had formed after ankle surgery more than 30 years earlier. The clot had restricted circulation and oxygen throughout my body for decades. I was immediately placed on blood thinners, physical therapy, supplements, and a strict anti-inflammatory protocol. I was also dealing with depleted adrenal function and lymphedema. Even though I had taken good care of my body, I had been working against impaired circulation for years.

I was approved for disability in late 2018. Since then, my focus has been survival and healing—allowing my body to relearn how to regulate after years of damage caused by decreased oxygen and circulation. For many years, I stayed on friends couch, rented rooms while doing everything I could to recover.

In 2024, I finally found stability and was able to rent my own place. I have spent most of my life helping others and rarely asking for help myself.

Supporting others has always been central to who I am, and that commitment did not disappear when my health changed. My experiences have deepened my understanding of healing, self-advocacy, and compassion. both for myself and for others.

Through this long healing journey, I also discovered a deeper purpose. It is my dream to help people feel a deeper connection within their bodies. What I have lived through has taught me the importance of listening deeply to the body and recognizing the inner beauty, resilience, and grace that exist even during illness, loss, and uncertainty. While my body has limits, my desire to support and serve others remains strong, and I am working toward doing that in a sustainable and embodied way.

After nearly two years in my home, the property was sold, and I was served with an 85% rent increase just four days before my rent was due. Because the new owner is legally exempt from certain tenant protections, the increase is allowed. On a fixed disability income, I cannot absorb this increase, and I am now at risk of losing my housing.

I had just been pre-approved for a used car so I could begin applying for part-time work that aligns with my physical limits. This sudden rent increase has made it impossible to move forward without support.

I am asking for support to help me stay housed, cover moving, housing transition costs, and regain stability while I work toward becoming as self-sufficient as my health allows.

If you are able to donate or share this fundraiser, it would mean more than I can express. Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for holding me in compassion.

With gratitude,

Alena