Help David & Pets: Disabled Tutor Facing Housing Crisis.

Hello, I'm David Wakeham, and I'm reaching out with a deep sense of trepidation and great urgency regarding my housing situation. After exhausting every resource, I find myself facing potential homelessness, and I genuinely need your support.

My Story

I'm a queer neurodivergent academic and private tutor dedicated to animal welfare and others without a voice, having volunteered countless hours in shelters and rescues globally. Despite my commitment to making a positive impact, I'm currently in a dire situation due to severe health conditions and systemic barriers that have culminated in the loss of my home.

I am being evicted after nearly nine years of renting in Barellan Point, Queensland. My journey has been complicated by complex PTSD (cPTSD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), chronic pain from numerous injuries, an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), and severe anxiety and depression. These challenges have made navigating the rental market and advocating for myself increasingly overwhelming. My current home has also become unsafe due to structural flood damage, which worsens my anxiety and cPTSD.

Why I Need Your Help Now

My life has been marked by significant hurdles, beginning with escaping an abusive home at 13 and facing homelessness as a youth. A catastrophic car accident in 2003 derailed my path, resulting in an ABI and chronic pain that have persisted for over two decades. Despite these trials, I persevered through education, earning a first-class Honours degree in Animal Science and pursuing a PhD in Veterinary Microbiology. However, systemic challenges continue to hinder my stability.

Recently, the 2022 floods depleted my savings, and rising rents have pushed me to the brink. After weeks of being passed between housing agencies and charities without adequate assistance, I desperately need support.

How Your Support Will Make a Difference

This fundraiser is my last resort to secure urgent housing. I am seeking $24,200 to cover 28 months of housing costs—the average time required to be assessed and approved for social housing and NDIS assistance.

This funding will provide stability while allowing me to focus on rebuilding my life. Here’s how the funds will be allocated:

1. Housing Costs ($18,200):

• Bond (4 weeks’ rent) and rent in advance (2 weeks).

• Rent for a two-bedroom fenced property in Brisbane ($650–$780/week).

2. Moving Expenses ($2,000):

• Truck rental and movers.

• Bond exit cleaning services.

• Tree lopping and gardening costs associated with vacating my current property.

3. Replacement of Lost Items ($1,500):

• Updating broken education resources for tutoring.

• Replacing bedding, clothes, and gardening equipment destroyed in floods.

4. Medical Support ($2,500):

• Pain specialist consultations and physiotherapy sessions.

• Hydrotherapy treatments to manage chronic pain.

• Completion of a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatment trial for depression.

5. Any extras

• Immediate Living & Pet Care: Ensuring I can afford food, vital medications, and care for my beloved rescue animals—Boudica, Badger, Rīx, and Missy—all of whom are my emotional support and family. I am still paying off the VetPay loans for Boudica's vet bills, Mr Kitty's cancer diagnosis, his pain medications and Millie's necropsy.

• Stability & Catching Up: Addressing overdue bills and providing a small buffer while I seek stable housing and pursue NDIS support. I have been living with autistic burnout for so long now, trying to do everything for everyone. Constantly going over and above in a futile attempt not to have to ask for help, to prove that I am, and by extension, my clients: disabled, neurodivergent, First Nations or otherwise marginalised - are worthy.

A Personal Plea

This campaign is not just about finding a roof over our heads—it’s about survival for me and my rescue animals. They have been by my side through some of the darkest moments of my life, offering unconditional love when I had no one else to turn to. Losing them or being unable to provide for them would be unimaginable.

Furthermore, stable housing will allow me to continue contributing meaningfully to society through education and advocacy, helping students achieve their potential or volunteering with vulnerable animals in need.

I am genuinely humbled to ask for help. Any contribution, big or small, can make a significant difference, as can sharing this campaign with your network.

Thank You

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Your kindness offers a vital lifeline of hope when I feel lost.