Hello, my name is Law, I am a nonbinary disabled person and I need your help!
Even if you just read my story, and share my link, I thank you tremendously. All I want is a chance to live a fulfilling life in this society as a disabled person.
I had no idea that my life of working 40 hours a week at a job I prided myself at, working towards my dream of Cosmetology school, would completely change nearly 3 years ago after catching COVID-19. I was sick for 2+ months, before any vaccines or tests were really available to the public. I went to Urgent Care multiple times, where they told me I had bronchitis... meanwhile, my illness was turning into Long COVID, which would ultimately destroy my immune system, and slowly deteriorate the rest of my life.
Endometriosis developed in my body, leaving me in pain for months with doctors telling me it was just IBS. I ended up having a surgery in December of 2021, a laparoscopy, to remove the endometriosis, as well as a large cyst on my left ovary. This left me with confusion, sadness, and anger, not knowing what my future fertility looked like, or when it would come back. Endometriosis has no cure. I had to quit my job before I had surgery... I had no idea what would come afterwards. 2022 was a long and tiring road of learning of all the other comorbidities I have developed over the last few years. I was diagnosed with POTS over the summer, which makes my heart rate rise up to 180bpm just by walking across the room, or playing with my dogs. I am heartbroken to not be able to run in a field with them, for fear of blacking out, or being so fatigued I would not be able to walk the next day. Everyday I seem to find more ways I have lost my mobility or strength.
I am no longer able to work full time, I am homebound 70% of the time. I am so thankful I have a service dog who can help me with my mental disabilities, and hopefully detecting high heart rate soon, however he cannot do much for my physical mobility. I am slowly developing worse muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, brain fog, etc. I cry often, desperately wishing I had the ability to lift heavy things again, do more housework without being bedridden afterwards, just being able to raise my arms above my head...
I am lucky enough to have such a loving and generous partner who helps me with so much. I also do have a manual wheelchair among other mobility aids that help me when I go out for errands, etc. However, I am currently in the process of being diagnosed for hEDS, which is a connective tissue disorder, making my hypermobile with loose joints. Just by trying to crack my back the other day, I subluxated (partial dislocation) both of my shoulders. These types of things takes multiple days to recover from, leaving me in bed with heating pads, pain meds, and any topical creams I can use. As you can imagine, this creates so much pain for my arms, especially with nerve pain and fatigue in my hands and fingers from carpal tunnel and arthritis, making a manual wheelchair also hard to use, as I don't have enough strength to push myself. An electric wheelchair would be the cure to that. With an electric wheelchair, it would give me the ability to not dislocate my joints as I walk. I can stay more still, but also go where my friends go. With a push of a joystick, I can be as mobile as any other person.
Simply put, this mobility aid would mean freedom for me. Freedom from isolation. Freedom from the same four walls. Freedom from pain and fatigue. And, access to nature - something that brings me so much joy. If you are able to spare anything to help me get this life-changing equipment - or even just share this fundraiser, it would mean the world to me. <3
Much love,
Law & Salem (service dog)
(Lauren Vail is my deadname, which is who is listed as the fundraiser for!)
