Help disabled assault victim w/ home repairs

 

The pictures above are of my girls Micki (aka Hood 1) and Snippet (aka Hood 2); me, and; some of the repairs I need to stay out of jail. I was cited for housing code violations for gutters that needed repair (since fixed);  a front stoop that needs to be replaced, and; scraping and painting my house. I urgently need your help.  I have several disabilities. If I can’t get my house repaired before October 8th, a Cleveland Heights Municipal Court judge has promised to put me in jail. This judge can and will do it thanks to Cleveland Heights Ordinances  §§1345.04  and 1345.99  which, in effect, sets up a cruel and barbaric “debtor’s prison" right out of Charles Dickens. Being in jail would be disastrous for my health and disastrous for my well-being. Please allow me to explain.

I am severely disabled due to a degenerative birth defect that has spawned secondary disabilities. My original disability is a birth defect called thalidomide embryopathy (TE). Although it can affect any bodily system, TE affected my legs. No one would ever notice any problems with my left leg, but my right leg is approximately 18 inches shorter than the left for which I wear an artificial limb. That original defect caused several other disabilities over time. I have had two spinal surgeries and was recently diagnosed with moderate to severe spinal stenosis--a degenerative condition. I’ve developed acquired scoliosis as well. I’ve had one total knee replacement in my left knee due to overuse and need a replacement for the replacement; the malformed hip on my right side is beginning to become very painful for periods of time, and; the artificial limb on my right leg needs to be replaced as this one fits horribly and has severely limited my ability to walk due to often excruciating pain with each step. I developed fibromyalgia in the early 1990s which changed my entire life to the point where I never know what to expect or how I will feel at any given hour, much less any given day. Together, the birth defect, the secondary disabilities and fibromyalgia make my health precarious at best. 

In addition to the physical disabilities, I live with post traumatic stress disorder from both childhood events and from the recent assault. It was a sexual assault and rape, but here’s the twist: It took place in 2017, but my mind blocked it out for nearly two years as a way of protecting my sanity. To me, the rape didn’t take place two years ago. It took place this spring. I remember parts of the attack as though they were on a film loop in my head. I don’t want to see or talk to anyone. I’ve been putting on a brave face when I do and hide my feelings from myself even when I’m not in public because I’m caught in a horrible circumstance no one can navigate except me and I can’t do that while crying in a corner somewhere. 

I was about to go back to work at in late 2016, but I was harassed several times a week by the family that lived next door. The stress brought on a fibromyalgia flare that lasts to this day. The local police and prosecutor were far less than concerned. There was no investigation. I was attacked twice by this family in early 2017. The second attack put me in front of someone who’d become my rapist. I didn’t begin to remember until this spring. I began remembering bits and pieces of the sexual assault until I finally got a pretty full picture. Then, a few weeks later, I remembered being raped. Although I consciously knew it wasn’t my fault, all I wanted to do was kill myself. It was the extreme emotional pain I felt--like being stabbed with a searing hot poker. There was only mind-blowing pain and deafening screams that couldn’t escape my head.  I wanted to scream, to disappear, to die. I had to talk myself into living every minute of every day for weeks; then, it became every minute of every hour; then, it became every few hours.  I was a walking automaton for slightly over a month. Finally, because of my love for my fur babies and only them, I found the strength to isolate the pain so that I could live--we could live.  Nevertheless, there is so much emotional damage I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever work again. The emotional damage has caused physical damage. The fibromyalgia has been active for two years now; I have developed heart palpitations I did not have prior to the assault; I can’t get restful sleep, and; my cognitive function has been affected. Because of the stress, my brain doesn’t process language nearly as well as it did before. I have trouble understanding both written and verbal speech, and; very frequently have trouble writing, speaking and concentrating. I am afraid all the time with excellent reason, far more than I can say here. In short, I am a mess.

In the midst of all this, I’ve been dealing with both housing code violations and a tax foreclosure on my home. It is the former case that threatens to put me in jail if repairs aren’t made by October 8th. I have made some repairs already, but I don’t have the funds to make the rest. The photo of the back of my house shows the need for scraping and painting.  I’ve repaired the gutters already--twice. However, the front stoop needs to be replaced and, as stated, the entire house needs to be scraped and painted. There is another repair that needs to be made for safety reasons as well. The total amount needed is $8199. Included in that estimate is a $1200 fee for removal of trees and other shrubbery so that painters can do their work.

Let me be very clear. This judge has every intention of jailing me on October 8th. He is authorized to jail me for six months for every offense.  Each day the code violations aren’t fixed is considered a separate offense. I am in grave danger should I go to jail. The sexual misconduct is an open criminal investigation, therefore, I can’t say too much. However, I can say that my rapist, along with his friends and colleagues, has a long reach into the criminal justice system.  If I go into the penal system, I will become a target. I am finally at a place where I can begin to look for the other potential victims who were harmed by my rapist or anyone else in that department. I can’t do that from jail. Assuming I come out in a somewhat manageable state, I still have to look for a place for us to live because of the tax foreclosure. Accessible, or accessible-possible, apartments are very difficult to find on my budget. However, there is no alternative. It has to be accessible and canine-friendly. But if my house is sold while I’m in jail, my girls and I will be homeless from the moment I’m released.

Cleveland Heights supplies people--mostly black and brown from what I’ve seen in court--to a debtor’s prison because they can’t get help fixing their homes. On October 8th, I’ll be one of them if I don’t find the money to pay for repairs. Please help Micki, Snippet and me.


Thank you.