Support Bear: Disabled trans man w a sweet soul!
Donation protected
Many of us know Bear from the magical queer community on the West Coast. Many of us might not know that Bear has had an increasingly hard time over the last 10 years. He had moved in our community as an invisibly disabled person, having been diagnosed by doctors with everything from Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, to Lyme's Disease, to Mold Toxicity and Fibromyalgia and beyond. He also has been diagnosed by many non-doctors with being a Tender Hearted Lovely Person.
Bear had been living in Oregon for a few years, but his health issues spiraled while there and he moved back home with his family in Gilroy in 2020. His mom has been doing everything she can to take care of him, but the pain is constant and the resources are scarce.
The good news: There is an INCREDIBLE accupuncturist (Nancy Park, for those of you who know her - here's her site for those who don't: www.templesantacruz.com) who has agreed to do house visits for Bear at her regular office rate. This is a big sacrifice for her, a woman of color, to be making in order to support someone she'd never met before. Bear's mom says that the hope is coming back into his eyes when they talk about the accupuncture, but they don't have the money even to pay her discounted rate for more than a couple weeks.
That's where we come in. The office rate is $150, so Bear needs $600 per month. If we can raise half of that, Bear's mom can scrape together the rest. If we can come up with $2700, that means Bear will be able to get these treatments for 9 months, which may well put him on the path to the healing he's been seeking out all this time.
One of the saddest things for Bear in this time, apparently, has been his feeling of disconnection from the broader community. Small donations from many of us can be a way of showing care, even if it's a few dollars. And if you can't donate at all, please spread the word to people who can.
Thanks for all you do to create resilient communities! Blessings, love & action -- Iridaea
Bear had been living in Oregon for a few years, but his health issues spiraled while there and he moved back home with his family in Gilroy in 2020. His mom has been doing everything she can to take care of him, but the pain is constant and the resources are scarce.
The good news: There is an INCREDIBLE accupuncturist (Nancy Park, for those of you who know her - here's her site for those who don't: www.templesantacruz.com) who has agreed to do house visits for Bear at her regular office rate. This is a big sacrifice for her, a woman of color, to be making in order to support someone she'd never met before. Bear's mom says that the hope is coming back into his eyes when they talk about the accupuncture, but they don't have the money even to pay her discounted rate for more than a couple weeks.
That's where we come in. The office rate is $150, so Bear needs $600 per month. If we can raise half of that, Bear's mom can scrape together the rest. If we can come up with $2700, that means Bear will be able to get these treatments for 9 months, which may well put him on the path to the healing he's been seeking out all this time.
One of the saddest things for Bear in this time, apparently, has been his feeling of disconnection from the broader community. Small donations from many of us can be a way of showing care, even if it's a few dollars. And if you can't donate at all, please spread the word to people who can.
Thanks for all you do to create resilient communities! Blessings, love & action -- Iridaea
Organizer
Temple of the Waters
Organizer
Santa Cruz, CA
