Support Jonah's Family Through Medical Crisis

Hello! My name is Jonah, and my family needs help. (My wife Liv + my dog Junie B. pictured above :)

I recently had a medical crisis that hospitalized me for 5 days. I am uninsured, unemployed, and fighting to receive benefits from the state. We need money for ongoing medical expenses, rent, and other essential costs.

A couple months ago, I was abruptly terminated by the owner of the company I worked for after I called him out for speaking abusively to his staff and walked out of my shift. He fired me for "misconduct," but I had no previous complaints about my conduct and received no written warnings. I am transgender and disabled, and though cisgender and able-bodied employees walked out of shifts previously, I am the only employee that was fired on the spot.

The stress of that toxic work environment and sudden unemployment is contributing to my worsening physical and mental illnesses. I have not been able to access the physical therapy and psychiatric care I need to heal, because I could not afford COBRA payments and lost my health insurance coverage. The impending medical debt from my hospitalization and current financial instability make recovering from this traumatic event even more difficult.

I am searching for new employment and I have my own business, but I do not have a stable source of income. My wife works two jobs and also has her own business, but she does not make enough to cover us both. She also has chronic illnesses that have sent her to the ER a few times this year. My parents were spotting me with a few hundred dollars a month, but when they visited me during my hospital stay, they told me they were no longer willing to financially support my "lifestyle." I don't know if this decision was prompted by seeing me during a mental health crisis, visibly transgender, or in a loving queer relationship, but they have made it abundantly clear that they disapprove of all of those aspects of my life. Thankfully, my chosen family here in Chicago has been helping with donations and home cooked meals, but I need help from my extended support system as well.

I am thankful to be alive and surrounded by love. My community has already shown me such kindness, but my circumstances are still really scary. Unfortunately, my intersectional identity makes recovering from a financial crisis especially difficult in our current system. Despite this, I know that there are lots of good people willing to offer their support, and you can do that by donating (even $1 helps) or sharing this page with the good people in your life. Thank you for listening to my family's story, and thank you for your support <3

- Jonah, Liv, and Junie B.