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Disabled tenant rebuilding after discriminatory eviction

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Hello!
A little back story: Due to the genetic condition Ehlers-Danlos syndrome I became disabled in 2010. It's a defect in how my body makes collagen, which is the glue that holds us together. It's what makes tendons snappy and cartilage springy and lends stretch to our organs and skin, so where a normal person's tendons would be made from rubber bands mine are made from chewed gum.
I deal with high levels of pain 24/7 caused by deterioration of my spine and joints, and neuropathy resulting from nerve and neurological damage. I'm plagued by constant fatigue resulting from a combination of autoimmune hypothyroidism, insomnia/non restorative sleep, vitamin deficiencies due to gastroparesis and malnutrition, and heart failure. I also have Chiari malformation, which is causing damage to my cerebellum and compressing my brain stem-leading to a host of neurological issues and autonomic dysfunction, and a 3mm lesion in my pons from a stroke in 2014 that left me without feeling and loss of strength on my right side, as well as further damaged cognitive/executive function. I'm also AuADHD with a lot of OCD traits, and have PTSD from trauma throughout my childhood and into early adulthood that's resulted in anxiety.
I recently got diagnosed with hypothyroidism after more than a decade of doctors brushing it off because my TSH was fine, despite my T3 being bottomed out. The gene mutation that's responsible for all my issues-MTHFR-apparently also prevents my body from converting T4 into the usable T3 that every cell in my body depends on. So all those issues above-most of them are because of my thyroid.

Despite the challenges I've faced, in 2015 I started my own business Zebra Splints-which I run as a not for profit, charging only for the cost of making them-providing low cost splints for others like me, who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford them. I donate a lot of my time to production so I can sell my splints at a much lower cost than most other places, and am the only maker worldwide that offers titanium and niobium for patients that previously couldn't wear metal splints due to allergies or severe sensitivities, leaving them stuck with the plastic ones that frequently cause irritation and/or damage our fragile skin. Most of my customers are also disabled so on fixed/limited income, and I know first hand how awful it is having those incapacitating pain days and not even being able to draw or make crafts to distract yourself and make the time go by. It makes me happier being able to help save someone from that fate than extra money ever could. All I've wanted is to be able to put some good in the world with my little life, and to support living independently while doing so. Up until August this had never been a problem.

This spring I developed bilateral trigger thumb, which I now know is a result of the hypothyroidism. It really slowed me down and l was unable to use a key piece of equipment needed to make every single splint, leaving me entirely reliant on the assistant that'd been working with me for the last year. She was someone I'd known for decades and considered a dear friend. Just weeks later she had an emergency and needed to come up with a ton of money, so I ran a big sale so I could lend it to her-after discussing several times I'd need her to put in extra hours to clear the work load. Unfortunately it didn't go well and she didn't cope well, and ended up leaving. This left me *extremely* backed up with orders-and bunk hands. I started working more and more trying to make up for the lack of help, skipping sleep and barely eating, and by August my body gave out. I was totally incapacitated for 3 weeks, stuck in bed unable to muster enough energy to move. I had an acquaintance come stay with me to help while I recover, and I had to make an exception to my landlord's "rule" of paying rent in cash, using a money order instead because I physically couldn't drive to the bank. This set off a chain reaction of events that resulted in being displaced from my home, losing everything I worked to build all these years.

Because the laws here ban landlords from refusing to renew a lease in retaliation he started a barrage of harassment and disturbances trying to force me out-making excessive noise outside my bedroom window early in the morning every day, he cut off my propane leaving me without hot water or a stove, lying to every agency I tried to get help from to make it appear that I'm at fault, telling everyone I'm "faking" my disability. He called the cops making up stories so they'd come banging on my door first thing in the morning. He had no regard for my rights or any laws, all he cared about is what he thinks he's entitled to-which is apparently collecting above market rate rent for an illegal rental that's falling apart, and not using any of that rent for the many repairs needed. There'd been a leak in the ceiling since I moved in over a year prior growing mold (likely contributing to my recent health decline), sections of the floor giving out, windows that don't work or are missing screens, and I spent 10 months cleaning dead mice off my floor almost daily (thankfully I have cats, or the place would've been totally overrun). I'd been putting batches of orders on my porch and a leaving note in the mailbox for USPS to pick them up, and suddenly had a huge surge in missing orders-over 100 total. I can't prove it, but I believe he took them. Anything to make my life harder so I'd be forced out.
All he did was destroy my health and cause such massive financial losses that I *couldn't* move. It triggered an immune attack on my thyroid, causing even further deterioration. By December I was struggling to get out of bed and I'd lost 40lbs because I couldn't eat. The last half of December, when the weather got cold (which I now know triggers thyroid issues), I declined rapidly and at the start of January was hospitalized, the fatigue was so bad I couldn't get out of bed and brain function declined to the point of delerium, I couldn't even form sentences to explain to the doctors what I was going through. I guess it's called myexdema crisis, and it was really scary. I have pericardial effusion, left ventricular hypertrophy, and QT wave abnormalities/inversion. I'm deficient in a lot of really important nutrients too, ones that depend on thyroid function to metabolize.
But FINALLY my TSH came back high for my doctors to take it seriously and give me the medication I need to replace the missing hormones, and I'm getting better every day.

The landlord started an eviction in November once my lease was up, and living in trumper country with the small town "good ol boy" mentality I never stood a chance. He'd pull the "I used to be a cop" thing to sway favor (completely leaving out his recent criminal record and aggravated DWIs), the first day in court the judge-likely believing the his story about "faking my disability to play the system"-was already biased, he was extremely rude and nasty and wouldn't even let me answer any questions. He refused to accept my paperwork, denying my demand for a jury trial-a constitutional right-but ordered an adjournment at the landlord's request. When we were supposed to come back he felt being hospitalized wasn't an acceptable reason for missing a court date and ordered the eviction by default, refusing my appeal shortly after. Not only the landlord but also the judge have violated both state and federal laws and a whole heap of civil rights. And I'll be pursuing it-little town courts are one thing-judges in these courts are just random people with no experience or legal knowledge-but the state court that civil rights suits go through are a very different story. Here you get treble damages for unlawful evictions, and they *do* care what the laws are.

It was an entirely illegal situation that never should have happened, and I have every bit of it in writing...but for now I need help getting back on my feet. I've had to do this alone. I've been on my own a long time with no help or support. I grew up in a toxic family and cut contact with them years ago to protect my mental health, and it's been years since I could leave the house which has left me without local friends, just my online community. I have no one who can help and no choice but to find a way myself, all I can do is keep pushing forward.

I've spent months getting all those missing orders replaced as quickly as I'm able, while also catching up on the ones that are still delayed and doing my best to keep up on new ones-and that's what I'll continue to do until every last one is out. It's been exhausting, but thankfully I'm finally almost there. However I've lost tens of thousands over those months being unable to keep up on orders between my health, not having help, and losing countless days to researching laws, filing complaints, and emails and calls trying to get help (turns out we don't even have legal aid in my county), and now another entire week to moving.
I just cannot accept that we live in a society where disabled people can be terrorized for months, show up in court with absolute proof of it...and not even be given the chance because the judge was already biased, believing the offending party without question. I believe in fairness and equality and helping each other, and watching this play out the way it has-while I've been trying to just mind my business and get my work done, trusting in justice-has broken both my brain and heart.
The stress of everything since last summer absolutely destroyed both my mental and physical health, and while it's hard downsizing to a little Airbnb...it's a relief being out from under it all. It's a relief not having to be scared to walk outside, not waking up to lawnmowers and motorcycles, not having to dread the uncertainty of my future. It sucks losing everything, but at the end of the day most of it can be replaced. My health and wellbeing can't.

I'm in my 5th week on thyroid hormone replacement and I already feel better than I have since well before my diagnosis. I've got months to go-I have to be on the lowest dose because we have to be careful with my heart issues, and I'm waiting to get in with an endocrinologist so it can be properly monitored and the doses titrated. I'm still really struggling with the cognitive and neurological stuff, I guess that can take a while to get better, but my energy levels are better than they have been in years. I'm eating again and actually sleeping through the night. Even my pain levels are better than they've been in longer than I can remember. And the most surprising aspect of it for me is the mental health. Apparently the "treatment resistant depression" that's darkened my life for the last 15 years wasn't depression at all, it was just what happens when you don't have thyroid hormones in your brain and inflammation takes over. All those years trying every antidepressant available, mood swings and rage, unble to escape waking up to that pit in my chest feeling like I couldn't breath...it had nothing to do with mental health. It was hormonal. I don't have words for how thankful I am to see an end to it.

The money the fundraiser is for is to cover upcoming healthcare costs, replacing the things I need immediately, and getting a new (to me) car because mine didn't make the journey. It's needed repairs for a while but it hadn't been an option, and it's definitely not going to make it to the appointments I have coming up. Most are over an hour out, some closer to two one way. I'm renting a car for the time being, but at $200/week it's not tenable forever.

I know it's a lot of money, but I'm praying I've put enough good karma into the world to get some back. And no matter what happens that's what I'll keep doing, because it's just who I am. People shouldn't have to suffer because of corporate greed and the incompetence of the American healthcare system. Just look at all the fundraisers here for folks in need of medical care. That shouldn't have to happen, and if I'm able to alleviate it for just one person it'll keep being my mission to do so.

Every bit counts and is so greatly appreciated ❤️

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Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $25
    • 3 d
  • Anonymous
    • $10
    • 4 d
  • Marissa Hotz-Berrier
    • $50
    • 24 d
  • Sara Martin
    • $30
    • 1 mo
  • Katrina Dalrymple
    • $20
    • 1 mo
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Organizer

Corrin Barnum
Organizer
Palenville, NY

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