While several close to us have offered to begin a "Go Fund Me" to help us as we continue to face medical and financial challenges, our vision is, whenever possible and appropriate, to offer something in return.
This Spotfund has been created to help support my mother, Sandi Matthews, with having been faced with taking on an increasing caretaker role to me, her daughter, due to medically induced unemployment from a very debilitating condition that went 17 years un/misdiagnosed called, dystonia, that has been significantly impacted and worsened by three Covid infections and severe post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 severely impacting my muscles, digestive tract, nervous system, and heart.
Last November, my two treating neurologists pulled me from work based on my condition, history of treatment, and a functional capacity evaluation that states my inability to work even in a part-time capacity as it poses danger and risk to myself and others. By February of this year, all of my FMLA and sick leave as a high school special education teacher had been exhausted. so I have been on unpaid medical leave since. Any money that I had to live off of was gone by late this spring, in addition to my medical benefits, both of which I need to get treatments that had been covered in the past with a copay, as well as those not covered, but I willingly paid out of pocket due to their effectiveness: weekly massage and biweekly acupuncture, $1140 monthly; gym membership for warm water therapy and yoga, $70 monthly.
STRS has rejected my application for disability along with the appeal despite having OEA legal representation, so I resigned my position which was board approved last night, and it will take a minimum of 30 days to access my retirement which will be taxed and penalized, but desperate means call for desperate measures.
I've been attempting to do some dog and house sitting against my doctors' advising, because we need money. However, it's getting more and more difficult, and ultimately (as my cardiologist warned) unsafe for me to continue.
There are many other challenges this situation creates which most people will hopefully, likely never know the extent of, but Mom and I know we are not the only ones in such an unfortunate circumstance and that these are tough financial times for everyone.
For that reason, money received from Spotfund will be used for the most essential and necessary of the following, including the telling of our story to spread awareness and give validation to others in our position:
1) regular necessary treatment urgently needed for the painful and disabling conditions including, but not limited to cervical and segmental dystonia, spasmodic dysphonia, and Long Hauler's Covid-19;
and
2) Miscellaneous regular occurring monthly bills (rent, utilities, groceries, prescriptions)
If there should be any additional money beyond what is required for medical care and day to day living expenses, that money will be invested toward our vision for Merm's Treasure Chest and the telling of our story through the generations.
Merm's Treasure Chest
Created to inspire positivity, resiliency, and hope through life's most difficult challenges.
In essence, Merm's Treasure Chest is a concept; it is the idea that life is like a treasure chest, and we fill it along the way with the gems we value most. Our signature designed treasure chest was created to inspire positivity, resiliency, and hope through life's most difficult challenges, and The MTC Challenge is meant to challenge everyone to spread awareness of that concept as well as for others to create their own individual treasure chests.
**The writing that began three years ago as a tribute to Mom's life in gift to her grandchildren needs to be completed as it is our story through Covid to present, and is essentially everyone's story. Capturing all the historic elements from the pandemic quarantine in 2020 to all of the political division in our country and globally to date, but the narrative is written with intent to give voice to an unheard many.
