I recently sustained a traumatic spinal injury during a very intense crowd surge at a concert, which caused my foot to be paralyzed & excruciatingly painful. This extremely alarming & life-altering development resulted in me needing emergency spinal surgery in order to save functionality of my foot, restore strength, & do everything I can to prevent the paralysis & pain from becoming permanent.

As I do my best to navigate this difficult road to recovery, extensive rest & minimized stress is absolutely essential if I'm to have any chance at a full recovery. Returning to work too soon would almost certainly result in permanent paralysis/pain, and possibly even having to repeat the surgery.

As I lack the financial resources to support myself even in the most basic needs during this time, it’s extremely scary to find myself in this situation. So much is out of my control during this long, painful process, and my heart is really struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel sometimes. But I believe in the power of community & trust that it will possible to make it through with support & care from those around me.

Please help share my story so I can raise enough support to keep my slowly healing body safe & nourished during my recovery.

Thank you you for seeing me & caring for me during this immensely difficult time ❤️‍ I couldn't make it through this alone & your support means the world!

More info on the surgery, healing timeline, and recovery needs:

THE SURGERY: Microdiscectomy (removal of herniated disc tissue to alleviate pressure on my spinal cord) + hemilaminectomy (removal of part of vertebrae to correct spinal stenosis/decompress spine). The goal is to restore sensation & function of my left leg/foot & lower back.

️️THE HEALING TIMELINE: The average recovery time for these surgeries is 6-12 months. But due to my other disabilities, this journey will be especially challenging & will likely take longer than the average recovery period, leaving me unable to work & support myself for quite a while.

This process will be extensive, including many follow ups with the surgical team, physical & occupational therapy, pain management, etc. It will require me to both work & rest extensively to regain sustainable functionality following this surgery.

❣️ THE URGENCY: It was critical that I received the surgery immediately to give me the best chance at a decent recovery. I had no time to prepare or save up for my time off.

THE INCOME LIMITS & WORK BARRIERS: I need to stay eligible for Medicaid, which has horrendously low earning caps. As I suffer from quite a few chronic illnesses in addition to this injury/surgery, I have many medical appointments and medications every single month. Because of this, even if I could find a good remote job with benefits & health insurance, copays & premiums would absolutely bury me.

Managing my extensive healthcare needs really is my full-time job, and this surgery kicked it into overdrive, leaving me with little-to-no time & energy to make money.

THE LACK OF RESOURCES: I’m connected to a care coordinator who is working to help me access as many financial resources as possible. The sad reality is that these resources are extremely limited, & often impossible to get approved for.

So far, my applications for SSI/SSDI (disability payments) & Access-A-Ride (free car transportation for disabled NYC residents) have been denied multiple times. I will be re-applying, but these interview processes are generally extremely time-consuming & mentally/physically taxing. Receiving application results takes up to 6 months & most often comes with a denial & grueling appeal process (which also, most often, leads to another denial).

❤️‍ THE END GOAL: While the current/upcoming events are extremely scary & inconvenient, I’m feeling so thankful for the connections I’ve made through many walks of life, & hope that being supported at this time will allow this life-altering experience to open my eyes more fully to the care & love all around me. My hope/goal is that this time of deeper support will allow me the space, time, & resources to not only heal from this serious surgery, but also find ways forward to sustainably & independently support myself. While this surgery, if successful, will restore a lot of function of my leg & lower back, the reality is that my pre-existing disabilities will still be present & deeply challenging. But I’m committed to pursuing health & healing as fully as possible, & feel confident that I can find ways to rebuild & find long term stability with your help & support.

Donations will be put toward:

Housing stability: Rent + Utilities + Bills

Food stability: delivery of groceries & prepared meals

Safe & reliable transportation: Uber/Lyft rides as I can't safely take public transportation.

Time off: Support in being able to take time off from work to allow time to pursue sustainable, long-term healing & stability.

Mobility aids & necessary healing tools/resources that aren’t covered by insurance.

Medications not covered by insurance.

Safe bedding + supportive/comfortable seating

Home adjustments/additions/modifications that will allow me to function independently & safely during my time of rehabilitation: