Hello!

It's rough out there! & unfortunately my health has been very rough, more than usual, lately too. I have been going through a lot of unexpected housing insecurity and challenges, which in turn has impacted my chronic illness by making it a lot worse. This all has resulted in lots of recent infections requiring antibiotics and treatment, increased pain and decreased tolerance for physical activity, and ultimately a need to schedule a major surgery with a highly specialized surgeon, in the next 6 months to a year to address the underlying causes.

To move forward in this health plan, I will need to seek highly specialized medical treatment in a different city from providers that have extensive knowledge and experience with patients who have IBD, and specifically with advanced surgical interventions for what is known as a j pouch surgery. So far I have been unable to even have an initial virtual consult because I cannot afford to pay the $300 up front cost for the consult, due to my state's Medicaid insurance not covering any amount of that fee, as well as very limited coverage for out of state medical providers. I need help to meet the financial cost that comes along with having this chronic illness and disability as I seek to treat recent complications, and address underlying factors that have had care neglected since the pandemic began. To share some more context, the frequency of reoccurring infections I've been experiencing in the past 6 months is taking a huge toll and contributing to the constant pain and inflammation that is wrecking my health, and impacting my ability to do things that I enjoy like making art and gardening.

Along with limiting the things I enjoy doing, I am also restricted in what I can do for work right now in lots of ways, and have been unable to find consistent work despite lots of job searching and applications. The total goal, that I am asking for support would help me to be able to pay for rent, fix a vehicle that would allow me to drive to Dr. appointments, start seeing a provider that is not in my insurance's network, and most importantly allow me to have a consultation and start seeing the highly specialized surgeon I need to see, and his team in a different state.

While this is not a short term fundraising goal, and would offer support for the next few months. There is also a time constraint, I am trying to navigate before the next month, March begins. Currently (at the time of creating this GoFundMe) I am $350 short of being able to make rent for next month unfortunately, so please don't wait if you have the ability to help.

Other ways that you can offer to support me with attempting to tackle the monster that is chronic illness, is seeing if the any of the other ways listed below would be of interest to you in exchange for support, and reaching out to me through GoFundMe for an email address for more info about an opportunity:

Birds Against Bills

+ Support me by pre-ordering a one of a kind bird tee shirt! Click the link above to go to:

ko-fi.com/birdsagainstbills

Birds Against Bills is a project to distribute screenprinted drawings of birds on second hand tee shirts, that are doing something to help!

Please let me know your size through the ko-fi page, and you'll receive a screen printed shirt in the mail with your choice of a bird who's against bills such as

-a hummingbird delivering a medic pack!

-a sandhill crane tearing up a gas utility bill!

-a nuthatch holding onto a wrench to aid in some car repairs!

- & bird more options to come!

Meal Prep and Home Cooking

+ I can offer meal prep and cooking lessons for people in the Chicago area with dietary restrictions. Specifically gluten free and dairy free, or vegan options for meal prep. Send me a message to get connected in email and we can figure out a menu that works for your dietary restrictions and gives you delicious food with flavors you want to eat!