Amanda is my best friend, and right now she’s going through an incredibly difficult time. She has a serious back injury with several slipped discs and pinched nerves, causing her excruciating pain and making it hard for her to walk most days. Even though she’s made some progress with a spine specialist and physical therapy, she’s been out of work since November 14 and has completely burned through her emergency fund.

Amanda has done everything she can to find help—she’s applied for every financial resource you can imagine, but has been denied for all of them, including medical leave benefits, FMLA, disability, SSI, food stamps, and other government programs. On top of that, her insurance has failed her, covering very little of her care. She’s already paid thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for appointments, treatments, and physical therapy, with more expenses on the horizon.

When Amanda is able to return to work, it will only be part time, which won’t be enough to cover her expenses or make up for the losses over the last two months. She’s dealing with all this financial stress while also being in constant pain, which would be hard on anyone. Any funds donated will help Amanda pay for medical bills, daily expenses, rent, food, and her normal monthly bills. If you can’t donate, Amanda could also use some household items, laundry supplies, dog and cat food, treats, litter, or gas cards. Please reach out if you’d like her address to send things directly. Thank you for supporting Amanda and showing her she’s not alone.

Amanda is more than a best friend to me, she’s family. She’s a lover, a giver, resilient, and someone you can always depend on. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her, and knowing she’s in such deep pain everyday without support is incredibly difficult. I want to support her in any way possible. Absolutely anything helps, and thank you for taking the time to read this.