Please stop to read everything in full.
Hello, my name is Baylynn and this is my story.
I have been experiencing homelessness off and on in America for nearly 26 years (my entire life), and have chronic health conditions such as asthma, severe anemia, and 9 life threatening infections in my teeth that require 9 root canals, 9 removals, and 9 new teeth. I was uninsured in America and was given multiple estimates of over $20,000 to stop these infections and have teeth to eat with. The pain in my teeth has caused me to lose a lot of weight and contributes to the further decline of my immune system.
In addition to this, I’ve recently developed a problem with the rotator cuff in my right shoulder that causes me extreme pain and many sleepless nights. UPDATE: I went to the hospital in Paris and separated the muscle in my shoulder. I’m in a sling and cannot use my right arm.
UPDATE SEPTEMBER 26th:
i literally ruptured my rotator cuff and hahaha without citizenship I can’t get health insurance that covers the surgery
I can’t afford the surgery in America either.
and because it’s not considered “life threatening” no one will just do it for free
Though I won’t die, I WILL BECOME PERMANENTLY DISABLED WITHOUT THE SURGERY HAHAHA COOL
a Visa will allow me to buy the 100 Euro a month socialized health insurance that covers the surgery.
My health is in severe decline and i have spent the last 5 years trying desperately to receive medical attention to no avail.
During this bout of homelessness, I have been without permanent housing since May 25th, 2022 after moving to Los Angeles in September of 2021, moving twice, and losing my car, income, and all of my belongings. I moved back to Oakland, California for work in June, 2022 and was fortunate enough to stay at different friends houses for the summer while I tried to find a place to live that didn’t require a credit check and was under $700.
Alas, I could not find a place to live, and even without paying rent, the cost of food, transportation, basic necessities, and helping others, drained me of any savings.
During this time I had to fundraise money to
save my cat, Uzi’s life. Unfortunately, he died on July 25th, 2022. Leaving me truly without a reason to live.
I was given the opportunity 6 months ago to go on tour with my music throughout Europe, and I jumped at the chance. Many folks glamorized this opportunity, though I knew full well I would be going to another country with no money, no place to stay, and no intention of coming back to America. And yet, I still took the opportunity. This is why:
Immigrating to Germany gives me a chance for survival. I have no family in America, no hometown due to repetitive displacement as a direct result of being born into a family that was incarcerated by the Los Angeles prison system, and then being on my own since the early age of 13/14, being incarcerated as a child, and having to drop out of school and work full time to support myself ever since.
In Berlin, I am able to apply for an artist visa or a student visa (see more on cost below).
I am able to get health insurance for very cheap that completely covers my dental procedures, and all doctor visits, examinations, and surgeries I will need.
With a visa, I will also be able to eventually find affordable housing without a credit score and I will be able to attend university and receive an education.
Without a visa, I will live as I do now on a tourist visa- without documents, making it very hard to find under the table work and apartments to rent. I will run the risk of being undocumented and deported, but I will still be able to receive medical and dental care as an undocumented person here.
Going back to America is very much so a death sentence for me. Not only because of the medical and dental attention I need to save my life, but because being a homeless femme in America is very dangerous. I’ve lived it. I’ve been sexually assaulted, beaten, shot at, you name it, and I truly do not have the fight in me anymore.
Being homeless in Europe, as I am, is not glamorous either. My full time job right now is finding a place to sleep every night, food, and biking/walking with 50 pounds of my life on my back and a busted shoulder. But still, better than my situation ever was in America. So much so, that I’ve made the difficult choice to immigrate to a country with $400 to my name, where I do not speak the language and didn’t know anybody. I have been so fortunate to meet amazing comrades in the past 2 weeks that have helped to house me, let me use their showers, feed me, and I even got a free bike and learned how to fix it :)
What is this go fund me for?
My general survival and immigration services; an attempt to not be undocumented while living here.
Here’s a list of things I’ve learned I need:
$1000 for the immigration lawyers who translate and do the paperwork for my visa.
$2000-$3000 needs to be in a German bank account under my name to prove to the German government that I can pay rent and taxes here if they grant me a visa.
The rest of the money will go towards:
Exchange rate from dollars to euros.
Go fund me service fee.
A German SIM card- which I need to open a
German bank account and to have a working phone.
Warm clothes for winter- it’s pretty cold here in the winter, and I’m less worried about this because I’m good at finding free clothes, but some wool socks and a proper jacket would be nice!
Train passes- it’s a 60 euro fine and risk of deportation to hop the trains so I’ve been biking 30 kilometers a day… and still taking the risk of getting on the train at times.
Health insurance- it’s only 100 Euro a month!!! And it covers all of my surgeries and medication!
Food! - food is really really cheap here and I’m also just able to find free food so this is the least of my worries for once!
Housing- part of the $2000-$3000 as mentioned above, but It takes a long time to find housing here, so in between finding housing, I may need to book hostels if I cannot find a housing project to squat!
A light weight tent- for the nights I have to sleep on the streets- I already have a sleeping bag and compression pillow, and hope that will keep me warm in the winter.
Laundry! - usually around 5 to 7 euro and a necessity as I do not have many clothes anymore.
If you know me, you know I give everything I have. Even to people who have caused me harm and helped to displace me. I always give everything I have because I know it’s the right thing to do. Now, I need reciprocation. It’s a common misconception that homeless people are lazy and just begging for money, when in reality, we are some of the most hardworking people ever.
Being homeless is a physical and mental drain, and something that is hard to bounce back from. Even when i was housed in Oakland, it was only because we were on rent strike. After that, i was able to make it 8 months, before completely losing everything again. I have nowhere to go, no family to call on, and no hope of survival in America. Although I am thankful for the opportunity that came to get out of America, this is not a vacation for me and I am not a tourist. I have not been going to clubs, I have not been seeing sights- I have been biking and walking miles and miles each day, searching for places to sleep, food to eat, comrades in the fight for liberation, and generally just figuring it out. Also, some would be happy to know that I’ve been sober- even weed! My biggest vice!
A lot of my friends tell me I’ve got this, but in reality, I need concrete help and support from a broader community.
I need you all to share and donate.
I have 1600 followers on here, and maybe about 300 active followers. If 350 send just $20, I will reach my financial goal and be able to focus on things outside of my immediate survival (like showers, food, and sleep), and I will have more time and energy to find an under the table job for the time being, and work on becoming a legal citizen. In reality, 350 people will probably not donate, so sending more if you have the means to will help so much. Maybe instead of a bag of K this weekend, you donate that money instead. Or instead of buying some consumer product, donate that money!
If you have wealthy, philanthropic parents: send them this link.
If you know rich people, send them this link!
Going over my goal would be sick! Because tbh I need as much help as I can get until I can start working again! Never thought I’d say this, but I miss working! I miss having income.
I have 70 days until I become “illegal” so time is crucial!
Also, my 26th birthday is on September 25th, so… all the more reason to donate.
Your birthday present to me could be helping me live another day.
Thank you for taking the time to read about my life, and I hope this finds the right people.