Hi everyone! My name is Quill. I'm a queer transmasculine person in Upstate South Carolina and use he/him and they/them pronouns. I have several disabilities, including auto-immune conditions like arthritis in my spine (Ankylosing Spondylitis) and my feet (Osteoarthritis), as well as a nerve disorder (Fibromyalgia). These all cause intense and constant chronic pain that has kept me from functioning well for years; I've been in and out of jobs my whole adult life and I've been unemployed for about a year and a half now due to those conditions.

*(There is a short version of my current issues farther down a bit in case you have a hard time reading a lot!)

I recently met with a spinal specialist who did extensive imaging of the entirety of my spine, and the results were not good to say the least. We found out that my very top vertebrae (C-1) is severely misaligned and compressing/pinching my brain stem and the top of my spinal chord - which is causing a currently unknown amount of neurological issues, but is definitely contributing to my constant nerve pain. Every other vertebrae in my spine is also misaligned and really painful as well, but thankfully not to the degree that the first one is.

My hips are also tilted in a way where they are sometimes impacting/grinding against the base of my spine where it connects to my pelvis and other surrounding joints causing a lot of my intense pain and mobility issues in that region, which is is something I haven't been able to specifically nail down until now.

*IN SHORT - The spinal specialist put some really big puzzle pieces together for me in terms of the roots of my pain, some of which I've been trying to find for the better part of a decade. He told me that he has seen and treated people with very similar issues before and is confident that he will be able to bring me a lot of relief like he has with them. He even has an 8-month treatment plan prepared and wants to start working with me as soon as I can.

But, of course, my insurance does not cover the treatment...

This could be life-changing, even potentially life-saving treatment. And I can't afford it...

So, that's where you come in. They have a payment option to just pay a lump sum for the whole of the 8-month treatment plan at a discount, which knocks a couple $100 off the total cost. For reference in general, I have pictures above of the props that the specialist used to show me the difference between what my top vertebrae looks versus what it should look like (which is still so crazy to me that this is what I've been living with for who knows how long), as well as a picture of the statement he gave me that shows the cost of treatment.

Thank you so much for reading my story! I would be so so grateful for any amount you're willing to donate to help me get this treatment that I am so desperate for to increase my quality of life.

*ALSO! I'm a visual artist and create mostly abstract/non-subjective paintings and drawings. If you would like to see some of my work and/or order a finished piece or a commission from me, I would be absolutely delighted to make something for you! My official art Instagram is "@maylinsart" if you would like to learn more!

With much love and gratitude,

Quill