Support Sophia's Journey Through Long COVID

Hello! I am raising money in order to pay my bills as I navigate living with multiple new disabilities after dealing with 3 separate strains of COVID-19 in 2020, 2022, and early 2023. At 21, I became disabled from a month and a half long bout of COVID that turned into walking pneumonia, and my health has become increasingly worse for the past 4+ years.

I am in the process of applying for SSDI- disability benefits.

In the meantime, I am asking for assistance from my community while I work with my doctors to find ways to manage my symptoms.

A summary of my disabilities:

-Long COVID, which has re-set worse each time that I have gotten COVID, and is the root of all of the other listed issues. This affects almost all systems of the body in ways that are only now beginning to be understood medically. I am working with the long COVID clinic at Penn and am enrolled in a research study as well. After I finish seeing this round of specialists, I will begin physical rehabilitation for my lungs.

Long COVID definition from Wikipedia: "Long COVID is a group of health problems persisting or developing after an initial period of COVID-19 infection. Symptoms can last weeks, months or years and are often debilitating."

-Lowered immune system which increases my need to mask and stay up to date on vaccines in a world that has largely moved away from this and limits my ability to leave my home safely. A small cold or flu can last for weeks and be completely debilitating.

- POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) which makes standing and movement difficult, causes dizziness and elevated heart rate, limiting my ability to stand for longer than a few minutes.

-Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which results in severe, days long crashes where I can't leave my bed if I over-exert myself and consistent exhaustion- it feels like always having the symptoms of a flu.

-Chronic vestibular migraines that can leave me in bed for days with vertigo and nausea. This is often triggered by riding in a car or other forms of transportation- which is necessary since I can't walk much!

-Asthma that needs to be controlled with two inhalers per day.

-And more, as new issues seem to pop up every month or two.

This all severely limits my daily activities, where I now need assistance with any errands, getting to appointments, daily hygiene, meals, cleaning and any household tasks.

My expenses include:

prescription costs, insurance co-pays and gas for specialist care and testing (cardiology, pulmonary care, neurology, long COVID clinic team, primary care, frequent urgent care visits), home disability aids and mobility aids, vitamins and supplements, rent, gas/electricity/internet/water bills, car insurance, grocery orders, vet bills, and credit card payments on a large amount of debt incurred from so many unexpected medical expenses.

Thank you for reading ❤️

I greatly appreciate your time reading this, and promise to pass on the community assistance to others in greater need once I am in a more stable place physically and financially.

Thank you so much,

Sophia