11 years ago at the age of 23 I was diagnosed with an incurable neuro immune disease. This has left me predominantly housebound and bedbound, needing round-the-clock morphine amongst other significant health issues. I lost my job and My husband and I started our own online Amazon business up using his pension funds. With me doing the admin I have been able to work from bed, thanks to modern technology.
We provided practically entirely for ourselves for several years (I claim PIP but no other benefits) and where doing well, until the onset of Covid. The work dried up, we started earning less and less each month. I then suffered a traumatic experience in April 2021, which caused a huge deterioration in my illness and I went into a deep depression. I didn’t work for weeks and my husband was helpless because without me the business could not be run. Thankfully I came out of that, but by then, the damage have been done and we having incurred over £10,000 of debt.
At first we were managing to pay the rent, and a food shop each month.
However, with me relying entirely on freelance creative writing, it got worse and worse, and the past three months or so we are struggling to scrape the rent together, let alone anything else. We went all winter without heating as we couldn’t afford it. We are now a month in arrears with rent as well, this and food for us and our
Cats is all we are able to pay.
Despite being so poorly I did not want to claim benefits, instead I wanted to provide for my family. I also suffer from generalised anxiety disorder. My husband is my full-time carer.
there are so many people we owe money to including council tax, that it is just a matter of time before they come knocking at the door, which terrifies us. It’s not like we can go out and get a normal job, because of our circumstances.
The past year we seem to have been thrown everything we can possibly take, and it really has been one thing after another. The stress worsens my illness so it’s a vicious cycle.
Because of my illness we cannot have children so our cats are our children. We felt as though it could not get worse until around 10 days ago a cat had to be rushed for emergency surgery and was in ICU for two days. Thankfully he pulled through. However, when I went to call the insurance company it transpires that even that had bounced, so we are not insured and liable for the full bill of £670.
With very little money we have had, we have started a new business but as we have barely any money for stock, it’s going to be sometime before it brings in in a feasible income To replace the business that folded.
Ultimately what we need is a cash injection to buy enough stock that enables us to have an income again. I would estimate this to be around £2000. As well as this, we have the medical bill for our cat, And if he gets poorly again they will not treat him until the Bill is settled. This to me is more important than anything. Where we are inside practically 24/7, cats provide much-needed comfort in so many ways and they are our world. Them and my husband and my reason for living, because I have very poor quality of life due to my health issues.
I have never been one to ask for help in the past, and even writing this I feel ashamed but we have tried everything, including consolidation loans et cetera, to no avail. I completely appreciate there are people out there in much worse situations, and this is something that I never forget.
I completely appreciate there are people out there in much worse situations, and this is something that I am always mindful of. I have been a giver my whole life, and in some ways I feel this contributed to my getting ill, eventually leading to these events 11 years later.
It has got to a point where we feel absolutely helpless, every day feels like a bad dream and without a regular income again I cannot see any way out of this. The veterinary bill it’s just the latest misfortune, although I accept it is my fault that the direct debit bounced.
for the Vets bill and a cash injection into our business we will need approximately £2670. We are however grateful for absolutely any amount, we have never been in this position before in our lives, but sadly we were dealt a few bad cards last year And we now feel like we are at rock bottom.
I am able to provide evidence of our situation, anything at all that is needed including medical records, demands for bills et cetera.
Thank you very much for reading this, and sending love to everyone out there in a similar position. 💕
https://www.paypal.me/Kandhay