Hi, my name is Earnest and I’m fundraising to purchase a vehicle. I’m 53 years old and a father of two. I’m disabled and receive Social Security Disability Insurance payment of $906.00 monthly. I live in a 1-bedroom apartment in Kate Ross Public Housing. My rent is 30% of my SSDI check, utilities are subsidized (electric/gas) average about $50.00 a month, Cellular bill is $125.00 unlimited (data/minutes, text, and phone installment payment insurance included. I have no cable or home phone subscription, just internet. I can’t shop in-store for groceries due to not having a car, so I use discounted subscriptions from Walmart + and Amazon Prime through the EBT (aka SNAP) app which cost between $19-$20 per month combined. I have type 2 diabetes, diabetic neuropathy, hypertension, high cholesterol, and osteoarthritis (OA) has often been referred to as a wear and tear disease. Which is degeneration of joint cartilage and the underlying bone, most common from middle age onward. It causes pain and stiffness, especially in the hands, hips, knees, neck, lower back, and thumb joints. It’s the most common type of arthritis.
Symptoms
Osteoarthritis symptoms often develop slowly and worsen over time. Signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis include:
Pain. Affected joints might hurt during or after movement.
Stiffness. Joint stiffness might be most noticeable upon awakening or after being inactive.
Tenderness. Your joint might feel tender when you apply light pressure to or near it.
Loss of flexibility. You might not be able to move your joint through its full range of motion.
Grating sensation. You might feel a grating sensation when you use the joint, and you might hear popping or crackling.
Bone spurs. These extra bits of bone, which feel like hard lumps, can form around the affected joint.
Swelling. This might be caused by soft tissue inflammation around the joint.
Since being diagnosed with Osteoarthritis in June of 2013, I’ve had 4 surgeries caused by Osteoarthritis. 1st surgery was left shoulder arthroscopy on November 31, 2018, 2nd surgery was Spinal Neck Fusion (no cartilage between the 6th and 7th disc) on April 13, 2019, 3rd surgery was right hip arthroscopy on June 9, 2019, and the 4th surgery was left hip arthroscopy on June 8, 2022. I now use Crutches or a Cain within 30-50 ft of my apartment. It’s very difficult navigating Dr’s and therapy appointments without a vehicle. We have Community Service transportation vans which are usually fully booked due to the elderly and senior citizens who live in project housing like myself.
So after Dr’s office co-pays, prescription medications, food, cleaning supplies, and toiletries etc. There is not a lot left to try and save for a cash purchase of a dependable vehicle. Social Security Administration wouldn’t accept 3 years of my employment as a Student Worker in college which added up to $20,000 of income that taxes were paid, but they said no Social Security was taken out for those three years. The elder from my church has taken me to all four of my surgery appointments and was also homeless from April 12th, 2019 to September 5, 2019 when public housing had a vacancy 8 days before the apartment was suppose to be moving ready. I’ve worked and did caregiving for my grandma Evie Mae my dad’s mother who had Alzheimer’s, my great-uncle Edward my grandma’s younger brother who was mentally retarded and couldn’t speak, and my dad who had Dementia, paranoid schizophrenia, and diabetes. I have no family support here in Waco, TX. Even though I have 5 half-sisters and 2 half-brothers they don’t speak or call me since we buried our dad on September 13, 2017. I haven’t been able to travel to the DFW Metroplex to see my kids since before the pandemic lock down. But through the Lords blessings and some very kind caring people my dream of moving back to the DFW metroplex to be closer to my kids will hopefully come true.
paypal.me/EarnestCleveland
