Our dear friend Braden has been moving through a long-term medical nightmare and needs our help. Their ordeal, unfortunately, will be familiar to many who live in the United States. In 2018 Braden's health started deteriorating, gradually and then rapidly, marked by a disabling fatigue that made their life creep to a halt. Finishing up a graduate degree at the time, they were forced to move home with their parents because they were unable to find a diagnosis, and their symptoms were severe enough that working consistently became impossible.
Over the last eight years, Braden has worked hard to climb out of this mysterious illness quagmire, enduring an excruciating roller coaster of doctor's appointments, testing, treatments, insurance battles, government red tape, and debilitating physical symptoms that have been life-altering in severity. There have been brief periods of improvement as they have been treated for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Sleep Apnea, C-PTSD, and tick borne illness, among other issues. However, they are still battling severe symptoms and need more treatment, and they've reached a point where their disability has outrun their resources. As they work to try to get Disability Insurance Benefits (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome alone does not qualify a person, a tragic injustice that impacts so many who suffer from poorly researched diseases), and begin a new and promising 6 month treatment plan for CFS, they need the support of their wide community to be kept afloat financially.
As many chronically ill people know, treatment for poorly researched diseases is often expensive and rarely covered by insurance, and working can become near or fully impossible while one is awaiting and enduring treatment. This is a brutal paradox that American policies have wrought on people who, through no fault of their own, find themselves sick and/or disabled. We're raising money to help Braden with medical and living expenses, and to get a new computer that will help them continue to work remotely when possible. The hope is that, with treatment, they will be able to finally return to good enough health to resume working, putting their graduate degree to good use, and moving out of this cruel cycle of illness and poverty, where our country can so unfairly keep people trapped.
Braden has contributed deeply and generously to everyone they know. They've changed people's lives with their warmth, curiosity, empathy, patience, care, and wisdom - and with the art they have put into the world that has cracked open the hearts and minds of so many. This is their greatest wish: to be healthy enough to contribute more and more to the world and the communities they love. Please help us support our beloved friend by contributing and sharing. No contribution is too small, every penny is greatly appreciated. We feel confident that your generosity will beam out into the world tenfold as Braden is restored to health and can once again be their full, energetic, passionate, brilliant self, giving the world more of the love and art and wisdom it so desperately needs.
Over the last eight years, Braden has worked hard to climb out of this mysterious illness quagmire, enduring an excruciating roller coaster of doctor's appointments, testing, treatments, insurance battles, government red tape, and debilitating physical symptoms that have been life-altering in severity. There have been brief periods of improvement as they have been treated for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Sleep Apnea, C-PTSD, and tick borne illness, among other issues. However, they are still battling severe symptoms and need more treatment, and they've reached a point where their disability has outrun their resources. As they work to try to get Disability Insurance Benefits (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome alone does not qualify a person, a tragic injustice that impacts so many who suffer from poorly researched diseases), and begin a new and promising 6 month treatment plan for CFS, they need the support of their wide community to be kept afloat financially.
As many chronically ill people know, treatment for poorly researched diseases is often expensive and rarely covered by insurance, and working can become near or fully impossible while one is awaiting and enduring treatment. This is a brutal paradox that American policies have wrought on people who, through no fault of their own, find themselves sick and/or disabled. We're raising money to help Braden with medical and living expenses, and to get a new computer that will help them continue to work remotely when possible. The hope is that, with treatment, they will be able to finally return to good enough health to resume working, putting their graduate degree to good use, and moving out of this cruel cycle of illness and poverty, where our country can so unfairly keep people trapped.
Braden has contributed deeply and generously to everyone they know. They've changed people's lives with their warmth, curiosity, empathy, patience, care, and wisdom - and with the art they have put into the world that has cracked open the hearts and minds of so many. This is their greatest wish: to be healthy enough to contribute more and more to the world and the communities they love. Please help us support our beloved friend by contributing and sharing. No contribution is too small, every penny is greatly appreciated. We feel confident that your generosity will beam out into the world tenfold as Braden is restored to health and can once again be their full, energetic, passionate, brilliant self, giving the world more of the love and art and wisdom it so desperately needs.
Organizer and beneficiary
Renee LuBell
Beneficiary