Hi everyone, my name is Savanna. I’m a 26-year-old scholar, writer, and artist rebuilding my life in Washington, D.C. after spending the last four years living, studying, and working abroad in Germany. I am originally from East Texas. Returning to the States was meant to be a step toward stability—I secured a job offer almost immediately—but everything changed when the federal government shut down.

Because I live in D.C., the shutdown hit every part of my life. The job offer I received was suspended. Even worse, I have been unable to apply for Medicaid or access any form of public healthcare coverage, leaving me completely uninsured at a moment when my health unexpectedly collapsed.

Over the last few weeks, I began experiencing seizures for the first time in my life—both conscious (where I remain aware but lose control) and unconscious. Two days ago, I suffered a severe, unexpected unconscious seizure. I collapsed, was foaming by the mouth, eyes were rolling, and I urinated on myself in the middle of the Metro underground station. I was taken by paramedics to the emergency room, and spent the night in the hospital undergoing emergency care. This experience was terrifying, disorienting, and painful, and I am still recovering physically and emotionally.

The hospital began immediate diagnostic testing: an MRI, CAT scan, EEG monitoring, bloodwork, and neurological exams to evaluate the possibility of epilepsy. I’ve now been prescribed medication to begin a treatment trial while doctors continue to monitor and assess what is happening to my brain and my body.

Because I currently have no insurance, every single cost—

• paramedic response

• emergency ambulance transport

• overnight stay in the hospital

• MRI

• CAT scan

• EEG scans

• neurological evaluations

• lab testing

• prescription medications

—comes entirely out of pocket for now.

The costs are already overwhelming, and new bills continue to arrive. I’m still unable to secure Medicaid due to the shutdown delays, and I am navigating all of this while searching for permanent work and trying to maintain basic living expenses in an already expensive city.

I am creating this GoFundMe because the financial burden of this medical emergency is something I cannot manage alone, especially while I’m dealing with an unpredictable and frightening health condition. For working people, moments like this can destabilize everything—we’re expected to pay thousands of dollars just for surviving a crisis.

Any contribution, no matter the size, will help relieve the pressure of:

• emergency bills already incurred

• upcoming neurology appointments

• continued testing

• seizure medication refills

• transportation to medical visits

• and basic stability (partial rent costs) while I regain my health.

If you are able to donate, share, or send a message of support, I am deeply grateful. Your help allows me to focus on healing instead of panicking about how I’ll keep up with costs I never could have prepared for.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, sharing, and supporting me through one of the most vulnerable moments of my life. Your support genuinely makes a difference.

—Savanna