To those willing to take the time,
I am a young-ish adult, under 30, however, I have won a lottery when it comes to unique health problems. I have had multiple surgeries, including removing a tumor that was centimeters from burrowing into my brain, and I have severe nerve damage as well as a paralyzed muscle in my back that is responsible for maintaining the stability of the scapula. Despite these challenges, I have done my absolute best to pay my bills and contribute positively to my community.
I am an elementary school teacher. As such, I do not make a lot of money and I spend a lot of money to furnish my students with supplies. I work in a very impoverished district, so my students need more than most, and I do what I can, from basic supplies to providing food. This makes my budget very strict, not a lot of wiggle room should problems occur.
Well, at the start of the Covid quarantine lockdown, problems occurred. Actually, to be honest, problems started before the actual lockdown, so I will begin there.
For the past five years, I was living with my grandparents. It was an awesome arrangement because my expenses were minimal, and I could contribute to helping my grandparents pay for and run their household. I was also the primary caretaker when my grandpa’s cancer reached its final stages. When he died, my grandma and I were left to manage the household, bills, and became each other’s biggest support. Then grandma was diagnosed and I became her primary care giver. During this time, I suffered liver failure, and we were both incredibly sick, but we managed, especially when I recovered enough to function at my normal level.
Then, just before the March 2020 lockdown, my grandma died. This left me alone, in a home I couldn’t afford alone, maintain a property I wasn’t able to handle, and bills that were way outside of my budget. Because of this, I relied too heavily on credit cards to save me, and I found myself depressed, in debt, and soon to be homeless because I couldn’t afford to stay at my grandparents.
I was lucky enough to find a temporary living situation but, to pay my monthly bills, I am left with around $115. This is supposed to be enough for food, gas, classroom supplies (which have increased exponentially because I have to provided 1:1 materials as opposed to just having enough to share), and healthcare support. This does not include saving any money, nor does it include paying beyond the minimum on my credit card.
To attempt to solve the credit problem, I tried to consolidate my debt, but I was only able to secure an amount that paid off one of the two cards that I incurred a high balance on. I am still $15,000 in debt and trying my best to pull myself out, but I see no end in sight…
I am begging for help because I don’t know what else to do. I wish I could convey the shame and embarrassment I feel, asking for help on a platform like this but words cannot describe it. I relate this failure to provide for myself as being a worthless mess of disappointment, someone unable to be an adult despite approaching 30. To top it off, I am in need of more medical attention due to problems I am having with an implant in my skull, and I truly don’t know how I am going to manage, except by putting the expense on a credit card.
If you have managed to suffer through my prose, and decide to help, even though I am probably not the most in need candidate you could find to support, I cannot thank you enough. If not, I guess I can’t blame you. Compared to others in need, I fit that perfect space of “could use help, but someone else needs it more”.
I should stop. Thank you for your time.
paypal.me/amandaemcc