FACING HARDSHIP

SUPPORT FOR COURTNEY D. GLASS

CANCER PREVIVOR AND ANIMAL RIGHTS ADVOCATE, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS ATTORNEY

Greetings,

While quite verbose, this is one of the most difficult posts I have ever drafted. I am used to being the person that others come to for help during times of struggle and not the one that needs serious financial assistance. I have pondered writing this post for five months and realize that pride means nothing and humility means everything. Authenticity, even when it seems embarrassing, may help another to reach out or at least seek spiritual guidance and inspiration. If you feel so inclined, it would be greatly appreciated, if you could share this fundraiser with your networks.

Zelle: 2404607682

ApplePay: Courtney Glass

CashApp: $cdges

Ask for Assistance

I have been able to secure a lease with my neighbor directly upstairs from my current unit. I am almost fully packed up and ready to proceed – after additional due diligence – this weekend. It will also be a much easier move because I am simply moving one floor above my current residence. However, because the fraud was such an amazing deal, the reality is my rent will be only $160 less than I pay currently, but higher than the amount I have been able to raise thus far. I am about $2,400.00 short of my goal for the first month’s rent, the security deposit, and the prorated amount for the remainder of March 2026.

WHY I NEED YOUR HELP

Your contributions will help me:

HOW YOU CAN HELP

NO DONATION IS TOO SMALL!

WHO I AM

Many of you already know the major parts of my story – becoming a cancer previvor, my mom and stepfather’s passing, being physically far from my parents as they age, and now the loss of my job of 13 years.

I am reaching out during a particularly tough time, asking for your support as I work toward stability. I am actively seeking permanent full-time work in my field but am currently pursuing part-time jobs doing document review to make ends meet. However, I need help covering important expenses for the next two months, including housing/moving fees and monthly expenses until I can secure gainful employment within my field.

A Special Thank You

Sincerely, thank you to each person who has already donated to me privately, via financial donations of food, furniture, offers to help move, transportation to doctors’ appointments, running errands, leads on jobs, or just a kind thought or word to keep me encouraged and of course prayers… I will never know all that others have prayed for me to keep me encouraged. I also want to thank the Bowie Free Donation community and the Bowie Interfaith Food Pantry that has kept myself stocked with quality food and all that donated food for my animals.

Update of Gratitude

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a “praise report” because I thought I had secured an amazing deal within my current neighborhood. Thank you to all those who donated – and those I need to pay back, it will happen in April.

Unfortunately, it was all a scam. I am thankful to the Bowie Truist and Wells Fargo branches that flagged inconsistencies, did not allow me to access the donations I had already received, and assisted in filing a police report with the Bowie Police Department and the COA in which I reside. The owner of the property, I found out, is in the military and rarely home, and the pictures used to display the property were stolen from my upstairs neighbor’s rental listing – who I hope to finalize a one-year lease with beginning tomorrow. I will never be more appreciative than I am of the neighbors in my community for banding together and bringing this to light so no others would be harmed.

My Story

I am a resolute and hardworking government relations employee that is surviving on document review contracts now – nothing near my previous salary and benefits package. I am an avid animal lover, pianist, classically trained dancer, and experienced caregiver. While an introvert, I still manage to be empathetic and help others as much as possible.

I am the ultimate believer in prayer, no matter what the denomination, and my faith has grown with this current trial. I am a cancer previvor, meaning I have the BRCA 1 genetic mutation (which indicates primarily breast and ovarian cancers but also indicates a variety of other cancers). I have mourned the loss of over 20 family members (paternal and maternal) over the past 29 years. In 2015, I received my diagnosis. In 2016, I had a prophylactic double mastectomy, followed by another seven surgeries over eight years (while holding three jobs). In 2024, I was blessed to freeze/preserve 30 out of 32 eggs (over two rounds) retrieved in the hopes of preserving my fertility. To harvest 30 viable eggs is a blessing for a 20-year-old, let alone a 41-year-old. Three weeks later, I had the hardest and scariest breast surgery to date. However, I am blessed with a top-notch, recognized in their fields, and simply amazing and sympathetic medical team that chooses to listen and address my concerns instead of ignoring them. However, the battle continues for me as I have three masses within my abdomen that have been biopsied and diagnosed benign are still continuing to grow – but thankfully and prayerfully my future children will never have to become cancer caregivers for me or even carry the BRCA genes.

Until I am able to find a job within my field as a government relations attorney, I will continue to hope and apply for anything and everything - even working three jobs at a time to make ends meet like I have in the past and similar to so many others - but I know patience is key alongside faith, hope, and love. I also realize sometimes you just have to release all pride and shame and ask for help because you would counsel another to do the same and help them even if it seemed minimal - every little bit helps always. I was let go from my job of 13 years due to being unable to work physically in the office five days a week as I am still recovering from my latest and hardest surgery yet on 9/11/2024 and telework was not offered. A 12-hour surgery, four days in the hospital, and home from work for three months after spending the summer preserving my fertility via two back-to-back egg freezing cycles took its toll – although not by my employer. I was let go while protected under approved FMLA and while in the process of receiving review and approval of a second FMLA claim and an ADA claim. My work ethic and product were never in question – it was simply my physical inability to telework two days per week due to my continued healing and abdominal condition.

I am a huge believer in "paying it forward" and do so everyday in anyway I can. I have stories of helping turtles cross the road, getting escaped animals back to their owners, supporting others in times of need, both physically and financially, (I have even picked up complete strangers that had just missed the last evening bus and transported them to the Metro station (while seemingly dangerous I will and continue to be surrounded by an army of God's angels and my ancestors) and always being willing to pray with another - even at the drop of a hat at a random gas station because I can see they are in need. I walk by faith and not by sight and only wish to complete this season of trial and step into my next chapter that will continue to be filled with blessings (and hopefully a tiny bit less hardship). :)

All my love. Yours in spirit and faith.

Courtney