I’m a 24-year-old disabled multidisciplinary artist and end of life care practitioner, currently surviving on ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program). My monthly income is about $1408, and after rent, phone, and minimum payments toward debts and medical bills, I’m often left with less than $130 to cover groceries, transit, and daily living for the rest of the month. I already live a frugal lifestyle so I'd love to raise money so I can actually have funds to keep up with buying groceries and other basic needs for the next few months as i continue my treatment and management of my chronic health issues. This has been an extremely exhausting and energy depleting way to live.

I'm asking for support because I need some sort of relief from not constantly worrying about where I'm going to get my next meal and a break from the stress that is probably making my illnesses a lot worse.

Having to rely on painkillers on a daily basis just so I can work is not a healthy option for me long term, and it's been years and I still cannot secure an accessible job, no matter where I apply and how much I work on my resume and do professional development programs.

I deal with chronic pain and a brain conidtion called chiari type 1, this affects my spine the most (see update for more details). I've been in major pain especially in the back from when I was young as 8 and would always wake up with morning stiffness and pain, navigating life through pounding headaches and other various Chiari Symptoms.

Due to the medical neglect I experienced in childhood, I am now in my early 20's dealing with the blowback of this brain condition as I age.

My hands/fingers, feet, toes, legs, shoulders, elbows and knees, etc flare up in pain daily. Everyday has been like pushing a boulder up a hill trying to manage and understand this, but it has also taken me time to learn how to be a functional person again who can take care of myself, study in my training programs and manage my freelancing career.

I currently cannot find an accessible job and I don't have any financially stable friends. I was kicked out and shunned by my family and community at 18 for being part of the LGBTQ+ community, so those folks aren't a viable option for support either. I've mainly been surviving on my own day to day just trying to find an easier way to live despite living below the poverty line and in chronic pain for years.

I try to generate income quicker through participating in market research/studies and online surveys/micro tasks. But it only is so helpful before my hands start flaring up and i can no longer use my keyboard anymore.

my physical disability (collapsed arches and Chiari + Syringomyelia), also limit how much I can walk or stand. This makes basic survival more complicated, especially when I can’t afford food or the transit to go pick it up from a food bank. I’m also navigating complex health needs, and I’m trying to stay afloat emotionally while working on healing and building toward more sustainable work in the future.

If you've gotten this far, thank you so much, take care!

— Sumaiya