Hello, friends and strangers,

Thanks for taking the time here to see what's going on.

Right now, I am seeking financial assistance to get out of a precarious living/working situation that I am going through since the middle of June this year:

Due to the rather unfortunate events that took place in my life in the past 5 years*(3 diagnoses of cancers, 2 bouts of, I found myself having to take on a live-in caregiving position earlier this year in order to still have a roof over my head and food on the table.

The position was only meant for companionship and non-medical, but after I started the job, I realized the employer was not forthcoming with the elderly woman's actual mental/physical state. She really belongs in a facility with professional memory care staff.

Plus, I am the only person watching her and doing the necessary housework, six and a half days a week, when by NY State mandate, such a position must be taken on by two shifts of caregivers every week. My biggest concern right now is not just the patient's non-stop cursing, urination in the bedroom, or destruction of my bedroom doorknob. The patient's behavior has become a lot more erratic and even dangerous toward herself or me. I am worried about getting blamed for any medical/physical liability because of her very unpredictable/worsening conditions. I need to exit and find a safe and clean place to live ASAP. The problem is, not knowing the state labor law and the standard of the live-in caregiver market, I didn't know to ask to get paid at least a minimum wage aside from the free room and board. I am simply not able to afford an apartment or a room all by myself. So here with humility and appreciation, I am asking you, my fellow floral artists/entrepreneurs, industry leaders, to please help me navigate through this precarious situation in whatever way you are able (monetary donations/job referrals/leads, spreading the word in your social network groups, suitable housing situations... even words of encouragement will be appreciated deeper than you can imagine.

Four years ago, when my dear friend first started a fundraiser here for me after my stage 2 thyroid cancer diagnosis, I thought things couldn't be worse... well, things did get worse. I had another diagnosis of cancers (stage 2 and stage 1 breast cancer in 2022 and 2023), lost my old car in a random leaf fire on the street in Nov 2021, lost all the money friends raised for me here to bank account hacking (bank wouldn't reimburse), and suffered all the physical side effects of having 2 major cancer surgeries within 17 months and finally a debilitating bout of sciatic pain from piriformis syndrome earlier this year. But even with all this, I am still hopeful that I will get through the hardship with triumph and gratitude because I believe in the goodness of human hearts, even strangers'.

Thank you for reading along so far... May the grace of the Lord and peace be with you, Always!!

Yours Sincerely,

Chia-Li Sung