Story

I work full-time for a non-profit, I go to school full-time, and I’m a volunteer crisis counselor. My partner is disabled and unable to work. Unfortunately, we’ve been through a year of countless appointments and tests, frequently more than 1 per day, and doctors nor specialists can figure out what’s going on. Because of this, he’s stuck in the Disability Echo Chamber (not being able to get approved despite having seizures, not being able to drive, and mobility issues making it impossible to bend/reach/walk without assistance. Even after doctors wrote letters confirming that he can’t work. 

This week, my car started grinding and squealing. Badly. The cost to do a full brake job is between $700-$1300, depending on how bad it is. I’ve destroyed my credit by taking out loans to keep us afloat. I have $24 to my name and we need to make it last at least a week.

I need to be able to continue getting to work and taking him to his appointments. The stress and worry this has created is weighing heavily on our already strained mental health. Being able to try and stay positive while we go through this and simultaneously showing up for those in crisis is becoming nearly impossible.

I’m posting this basically as a Hail Mary. I’m truly stuck at this point and I don’t know what to do to keep us going. We went through so much just to get to where we are, and we’ve taken on so many of these challenges alone. But now, I need help to keep us powering through this. I’m desperate to keep my car drivable.