Update:
Hey, guys! I need your help in my final stride.
As shared before, I have been navigating some pretty intense circumstances. From being extremely mistreated at my prior employer and speaking up about it, intense health-related issues (pneumonia, parasites, strep, psychological and behavioral illnesses - the list goes on), to being retaliated against for asking for basic maintenance requests/concerns submitted to my landlord, I am now dealing with a wrongful eviction. I am advocating for myself to hold these individuals and companies accountable, but am only one person – an exhausted one, at that. My day-to-day has been one long day, consisting of my own personal Hell.
In order to be able to access my property, I need to come up with a good sum of money, as I await my appeal (I was late to my court date so the judge ruled in the landlord’s favor) hearing. I know the legality, my defenses, and make “too much” to qualify for legal aid, and am regrettably out of options currently. I have been displaced and living in an Airbnb or staying with friends for months at this point. Due to not receiving my paycheck in time to beat the landlord’s attorney to pay the bond to stay, a writ has been filed and I need to get my things out in a matter of days. I am homesick, heartbroken, sick, and exhausted, asking for help in this final stride. I did not come this far to only come this far…. I have full confidence in my case, but legal matters take time, which I do not currently have the luxury of. Any help, shares, or words of encouragement would be more than appreciated. I refuse to let this insane circumstances beat me. My entire existence has primarily been fighting against really unfortunate luck/events; and, have been stripped of my ability to go it alone.
Generally, I would reach out to the US Attorney General of our Eastern District; but, due to the nature of my employment, have wanted to minimize compromising my professional life and have not submitted a formal complaint. I am exhausted, disheartened, and out of options. If you are, or know, of an attorney that specializes in housing and landlord/tenant laws, I’d love a good referral to help with the amount of legwork I’ve been having to put forth.
I’d usually be able to articulate myself in a better way, but am using my limited capacity to simply work. I have fought hard to enter into a meaningful role in my career and don’t know what I’d do if it were to be compromised as I attempt to navigate these life events. I hope you be able to continue to push through so that I may make an impact in this world of ours.
Thanks for your time! Wish everyone the best. <3 xoxo
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You never think it's going to happen to you - If you work hard, make sacrifices, are good to others, and keep pushing, you assume things just have to work out... right?
We all know life is not fair; but, I never thought I would be at risk of losing everything I have fought so hard to build. Today, after exhausting all options, that is where I stand. Within a year, I have transformed from a hyper-independent person, never asking for help and always finding a way to make it on her own, to a stranger on the Internet asking for immediate aid, to be applied to avoid the repossession of my vehicle, medical bills/appointments/prescriptions, applied to the negative funds in my bank account, future and past due bills, and just getting back to an area of stability.
I've had to advocate, sacrifice, and power through some really abnormal, unfortunate circumstances throughout my life. I realized at, a very young age, my success was dependent on me and only me, and began working toward my dreams. Ultimately, I have only ever truly wanted stability, a happy home, and a family/person/community to lean on.
I sacrificed the majority of my youth to these dreams, from beginning to work two jobs, to missing out on simple "rights of passages" such as prom and walking across stage to collect my well-earned diploma (I did graduate, not to confuse). By the age of 19, I had accepted a full-time job, unknowing it would later turn into my career, while also working another job, and attending community college.
Though the feeling of missing out on life and youth did weigh on me, I have always powered through, just knowing it would have to all pay off someday.
I have been endured a tremendous amount of heartache, loneliness, and trauma throughout my 30 years, and have done so silently, in large part. Sharing these aspects and details of my life is an extremely difficult act for me, as I do not want pity/negative attention. The transparency I provide is in hopes of understanding.
The last few years have been especially difficult. To briefly summarize I lost both my parents in recent years, worked through COVID and other various health and personal issues, lived with my ex for approximately eight months, and endued some other very serious items that I am not entirely comfortable sharing with the world.
My father's death being especially difficult. He was my absolute favorite person. Due to a number of unique circumstances, I unfortunately did not get the time I would have liked with him; but, the love in my heart was always bursting through for the hardest working man I knew. He, too, had the notion that if you worked hard and were a good person, there would be a light at the end of the tunnel.
Prior to his death, he fought roughly three years for his rightful disability payment and back pay. Seeing his heartbreak when my mother passed was, up until later years, the most heart-wrenching sight I had seen. Witnessing my father's fire go out over the years, shortly after leaving this place without the well-deserved light was unbearable to watch. After which, I was informed I had been written out of his will just days before his last admission to the hospital.... as you can imagine, this only adding confusion and more pain to the grief.
However, as usual, I continued to push through in life, focusing on my career, health, relationships, and what I could control. A while after my boyfriend and I at the time decided to part ways; however, me, without so much as an emergency contact to list, had no where to go with dog, Blitz. My friends and Blitz are the only family. Leaving him was never an option, and I honestly probably would never survive it if I had to.
As I navigated my current situation, further trauma was instilled in events I am not yet ready to share with the world; but, stripped me of my last sense of fulfillment and only constant in life. These circumstances have me continuing to have to advocate for myself every day currently, and the mental, emotional, and physical impact destroyed my sense of self and stability.
As recommended and needed, I utilized a leave of absence FMLA, applying for short-term disability, where the claim was not supported and denied. I am not navigating the appeal process, but have not had a steady source of income. This time last year, I was in the best financial position of my life. Today, I have exhausted all my options. The leave was supposed to allow peace, prioritization of my health, and support; but, unfortunately worsened my overall condition in the need for constant and continued self advocacy, now adding financial distress.
Navigating all of this alone (though I do have to give some major credit to some really great friends of mine in their support - I am not ungrateful or discrediting this <3) has taken every last bit of fight I have in me.
Seeing my father have to fight for his disability in the past obviously had me anxious, leaving me prepping as best as possible for this leave, where I was encouraged to "trust the process." With the amount of paperwork, conversations, and correspondence, employer plan, and determined eligibility reflected, was shocked to receive the denial letter.
This post/fundraiser is absorbing my last bit of pride, but I am out of options. As I await either a life change the appeal process decision and hopeful back-pay from the group life benefits I've contributed to for roughly 12 years, I stand here as a broken woman asking for help as I try to find a way back to myself, peace, and strength.
Thanks for reading.
Best,
Kailee
