Funds for relief from bed-bugs
Donation protected
Hey folks. My name's Darrell. You may know me better as Dr. Science Wizard on Twitter, or you may not know me at all, so hi. I'm reaching out (rather scared/embarrassed) because I'm in need of some help, and thanks to a push by some of the wonderful friends I've made on social media I'm trying my damndest to shut my anxiety up for a hot minute to come to you hat in hand to ask if you'd hear me out, if you can, help me out so.
I've been dealing with a growing infestation problem for the last couple of years. The culprits, bed-bugs (they do indeed bite). In order for my landlord to be obligated to deal with the infestation it would have to be detrimental to my health and I'd have to prove that the infestation was preexisting.
As bed bugs are not disease vectors and pose no (physical) health threat, and because I cannot prove that the infestation existed prior to me moving in, I'm stuck dealing with a constantly deteriorating situation. It's really taking a toll on my mental health, so much so, that after much pushing, I'm here, effectively pleading for help.
My problem is, that due to my severe depression and general anxiety I'm unable to work. As a consequence I am on a very tight income. I receive cash assistance from the state to the tune of $245 per month while I slowly wind my way through the application process for SSDI and continue to see my therapist. I appreciate every cent of it and am great full for this living assistance. However the harsh reality is that it's gone towards bills as soon as I get it on the first of the month. This leaves me in an impossible situation. I must eat and pay rent and take my medication or my mental health will suffer, or I suffer and potentially loose the place I'm trying to save because I'm using money I don't have to solve this infestation.
You might be wondering why I don't just move. It's not an option due to my financial circumstances. I may be able to move once I've progressed far enough in my therapy to function in society like an adult my age should do, but until then this is my home and bed-bugs notwithstanding I feel pretty blessed to have it.
I'm reaching out in the hopes that you might consider helping me. Im not to asking for the help to eradicate this infestation since pest-control is hugely cost-prohibitive and wouldn't likely solve it permanently anyway due to neighborhood conditions, but to mitigate the sense of hopelessness and helplessness that I feel due to not being able to handle this myself.
I'm currently sleeping on an air mattress that's only about a foot off the floor if that, the bugs regularly crawl up my blankets no matter how hard I try to keep them from hanging over the edges and touching the floor. I wake up every day covered in welts from bed bug bites. I don't have any furniture in my room at the moment, which means that I'm sitting on the floor whenever I'm on my computer working, or catching up with my online friends. I'm pretty much surrounded by these parasitic blood-suckers 24/7.
I am asking you to help me, hoping that if you're amenable to it, you could help me get a bed that's raised up off the ground, a couple of mattress covers, and maybe a desk and a chair so that I'm not forced to give these unholy leeches a free meal every time I use my computer.
I may have to live with this problem for awhile, but I'd be a lot more capable of doing it if I could alleviate even a small amount of the stress that it causes, perhaps a few hours consecutive sleep or the pleasure of being online without the crawl and bites of them constantly attacking me.
Though I was reluctant to do this due to my anxiety convinced that I'll be labeled a failure and a beggar for it, my friends gave me the push that I needed to get past that and give it a shot.
So here I am, a very embarrassed, very scared and extremely anxious person, asking for you to help me.
Much love,
Darrell Hinkle
I've been dealing with a growing infestation problem for the last couple of years. The culprits, bed-bugs (they do indeed bite). In order for my landlord to be obligated to deal with the infestation it would have to be detrimental to my health and I'd have to prove that the infestation was preexisting.
As bed bugs are not disease vectors and pose no (physical) health threat, and because I cannot prove that the infestation existed prior to me moving in, I'm stuck dealing with a constantly deteriorating situation. It's really taking a toll on my mental health, so much so, that after much pushing, I'm here, effectively pleading for help.
My problem is, that due to my severe depression and general anxiety I'm unable to work. As a consequence I am on a very tight income. I receive cash assistance from the state to the tune of $245 per month while I slowly wind my way through the application process for SSDI and continue to see my therapist. I appreciate every cent of it and am great full for this living assistance. However the harsh reality is that it's gone towards bills as soon as I get it on the first of the month. This leaves me in an impossible situation. I must eat and pay rent and take my medication or my mental health will suffer, or I suffer and potentially loose the place I'm trying to save because I'm using money I don't have to solve this infestation.
You might be wondering why I don't just move. It's not an option due to my financial circumstances. I may be able to move once I've progressed far enough in my therapy to function in society like an adult my age should do, but until then this is my home and bed-bugs notwithstanding I feel pretty blessed to have it.
I'm reaching out in the hopes that you might consider helping me. Im not to asking for the help to eradicate this infestation since pest-control is hugely cost-prohibitive and wouldn't likely solve it permanently anyway due to neighborhood conditions, but to mitigate the sense of hopelessness and helplessness that I feel due to not being able to handle this myself.
I'm currently sleeping on an air mattress that's only about a foot off the floor if that, the bugs regularly crawl up my blankets no matter how hard I try to keep them from hanging over the edges and touching the floor. I wake up every day covered in welts from bed bug bites. I don't have any furniture in my room at the moment, which means that I'm sitting on the floor whenever I'm on my computer working, or catching up with my online friends. I'm pretty much surrounded by these parasitic blood-suckers 24/7.
I am asking you to help me, hoping that if you're amenable to it, you could help me get a bed that's raised up off the ground, a couple of mattress covers, and maybe a desk and a chair so that I'm not forced to give these unholy leeches a free meal every time I use my computer.
I may have to live with this problem for awhile, but I'd be a lot more capable of doing it if I could alleviate even a small amount of the stress that it causes, perhaps a few hours consecutive sleep or the pleasure of being online without the crawl and bites of them constantly attacking me.
Though I was reluctant to do this due to my anxiety convinced that I'll be labeled a failure and a beggar for it, my friends gave me the push that I needed to get past that and give it a shot.
So here I am, a very embarrassed, very scared and extremely anxious person, asking for you to help me.
Much love,
Darrell Hinkle
Organizer
Darrell Hinkle
Organizer
Española, NM
