Help Trans Artist Pay Off Medical Debt & Go Back to School

Hi :) My name's Math and I'm an unemployed and chronically ill trans artist living in Los Angeles seeking funds to put me through massage therapy school and cover debts so I can get back on my feet, build a sustainable future for myself, and develop new ways to help my community.

After being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in August 2022, I've had to spend a lot of money seeing specialists, getting procedures, experimenting with medications, and attending various types of therapy. I've also dealt with anxiety and depression since a young age, a journey I'm still working on but one that has been complicated by my diagnosis. While I'm in a much better place than I was then, physically, it's an ongoing struggle. To make matters more challenging, I was laid off from my job in August 2023 when the website I edited and wrote for began pivoting to AI and let most of my team go.

As a freelancer, I was unable to get Unemployment, and despite my best efforts to find any job of any type, I still get by on miscellaneous gigs and a couple credit cards. Not only has this made my anxiety/depression worse (which sadly causes flare-ups of Crohn's), I'm still working through considerable medical debt, and it sadly only builds with each new procedure or doctor visit or medication I need.

In an effort to find financial stability in a more sustainable way, and develop a skill I can use to give back to my community, I'm seeking to attend the Hands on Healing Institute in Los Angeles to become a massage therapist. As a trans and disabled person, I know too well how body work can be helpful. I want to use my new skills to not only make a living but also offer my work on a sliding scale basis, for trade, or for free at community events. The 10-month course begins in August, so by this time next year my practice will be in full swing. And if I raise enough to pay tuition up front, I'll actually save 10% on the total!

This fundraiser will not only put me through school, it will also allow me to pay off my debts, thus providing me the stability to continue my work as a visual artist and photographer. I will also have the security to continue seeking the medical care I need.

I will still face some tough times ahead as I begin this new path, but I'll be in a much more stable place thanks to your generosity.

Updated costs thanks to donations outside of this GoFundMe:

Medical debt: $3000

School costs: $2000

Total: $5,000

Thanks so much to everyone who has donated so far!