Support Melissa's Independence

Hi, my name is Melissa and I am a woman with a disability. I have had a physical disability my entire life. As a result, I have required the assistance of either my mother or a personal care attendant to help me with basic needs, such as transferring to and from my wheelchair, personal grooming, and cooking, cleaning, etc. This critical assistance has enabled me to live a very full and active life - without it, I would never have been able to travel, go away to school, have a career, and live independently at home.

While it has given me great pride to get to a point where I have a full-time job and have been able to pay for attendant care out-of-pocket, I am currently experiencing a severe financial setback that puts my independence at risk. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, I typically had 3-4 attendants working for me at any given time. Once the pandemic hit, several of my attendants needed to leave the job, which left me with one. However, she turned out to be a truly wonderful person, willing to take on all of my shifts. It was great for her, as she lost her other job and wasn't in school, and great for me, as it limited my exposure to others during a very scary time (COVID would likely be deadly to me, especially prior to getting vaccinated). She has been a trooper, and I appreciate her more than can be expressed.

However, things began to unravel over the holidays when she was in a car accident. While my attendant was ok physically, her car was totaled. She was unable to get her insurance to cover the expense, and she has been without a vehicle since. I have had no choice but to pay for Lyft/Uber rides for her up to 3x a day every day to make sure she is able to get to work to assist me. She's doing the best she can to save up for a used car, but it is taking some time.

The expense of covering these costs is becoming unmanageable. I have nearly maxed out my credit cards and do not have any savings. I even had to cash out vacation at work to help. It is not easy for me to find additional part-time work due to my disability as well as the nature of my full-time job.

Additionally, I have been spending money on Craigslist and Indeed job postings in my search for new attendants. It has been an incredibly difficult time finding individuals to do this type of work, particularly during the pandemic. I am not alone in this - many in the disability community here in the Bay Area are experiencing similar challenges. I am hoping that I find at least one solid hire very soon - it would certainly help cut back the number of times I need to pay for rideshare, and it would also provide some relief to my current attendant. Even the most dedicated, wonderful beings experience burnout, and it is time for her to cut back - plus, she may be moving out of state soon, which causes even more wrinkles in my complicated situation.

Being able to pay down my cards and ensure I have funds for the next few months to cover these unexpected costs would ensure that I can continue to remain in my home, pay my rent and other basic living expenses, and maintain my independence.

As a woman who is proud of her disability and proud of her ability to live independently in her community, it is terrifying to be dealing with a potential catastrophe that could up-end everything I have had to work hard and fight for my entire life.

Thank you for reading my story!