Emergency housing & medical care fund for Sharona
Donation protected
Sharona Franklin needs our support. As longtime friends, we have created this page to raise funds for her immediate housing needs and medical care. Sharona is a disability advocate and artist, who also suffers from multiple rare degenerative diseases including Juvenile Still's Disease (affecting her spine, cognitive function, joints, nerves, kidneys, lungs, heart, eyes, bowels, skin) and lives mostly homebound.
Currently, Sharona requires emergency housing. The sanitation amenities in her apartment, such as the toilet and shower have stopped working. The landlord does not want to fix the plumbing or continue to rent the suite, as it will need complete renovation to repair the sewage line. They do not want to reimburse her rent and She needs to move immediately. This will be her third time moving to find accessible safe housing since the pandemic began.
Sharona has very limited physical mobility and does not have access to physiotherapy, homecare support, mental health support, or other prescribed treatments due to the exorbitant costs. Sharona lives alone, is immunosuppressed and through Covid, has found it increasingly more difficult to access care. Currently, Sharona has gone days without medications, treatments or groceries.
Often provided directly with supplies to make art from her bed; without reasonable income to pay bills, buy treatments, food or get by on, Sharona has been struggling immensely. Her friends have helped her frequently buying her medications, braces, wheelchair, canes, supplies, groceries, helping with utility bills, but it is completely unsustainable for her to continue to live this way.
In the past, she has worked many jobs, but due to physical decline has been unable to work regularly for some time. Because of this, Sharona is completely reliant on monthly disability rates to get by, and the generosity of friends, but these resources alone have never provided her with enough funds to access a stable treatment plan. Sharona was raised by a family with addiction and mental health issues. As a result, lived in multiple homes which led to the government becoming her guardian. Her lack of home and financial stability has been a largely missing component of her medical care.
As close, longtime friends of Sharona, we’ve watched her use her limited energy and physical capability to give back. Sharona is currently a national ambassador for the Arthritis Society of Canada for childhood arthritis. This is only one of the many ways that she is working to find creative solutions for disability-accommodating actions while challenging institutional rigidity. Her radical approach to disability education has been recognized by universities and institutions including MIT, Concordia, Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia and Emily Carr University of Art and Design.
Sharona’s has also helped develop and support a strong online disability community some examples of which can be viewed on Instagram:
@hot.crip a comedic, critical thinking, social community meme practice. LINK
@disabled_personals — a disabled friendship and dating account. LINK
@paid.technologies documents the stunning, surrealistic confections that she moulds and bakes into alternative realities. LINK
@star_seeded more personally focused artist account of textile work, publications and sculpture. LINK
Sharona's advocacy continues in her artwork by creatively integrating accessibility within the art by the plurality of all senses. With the inclusion of scented works, edible sculptures, audio captioning, short-form memes, conceptual work, poetry, zines, books, critical essays, talks, disability surveys and newsletters.
Her methodologies work to create educational access points for multiple age groups and demographics to develop diverse access points to engage with her art.
Her published art can be viewed here:
New York Times 1
New York Times 2
The Guardian UK 1
The Guardian UK 2
Canadian Art
The Globe and Mail
Art News
CBC
BBC
Vogue
Although her advocacy practice has acclaim, due to the rapid decline of her health, she has been unable to physically function daily for a considerable while, greatly affecting her work. As she is not paid for her interviews, meetings, advocacy, or funded by grants. Currently, she has very little means to live by, living well below the poverty line.
Sharona has been on exorbitant amounts of medication to get by, this is unsustainable. She needs regular medical care, and stability to support to bring her to a manageable level and slow the degenerative nature of her autoinflammatory/autoimmune diseases, to more mobility and functionality. Sharona's daily treatment plan includes antibody injections every 24 hours, and multiple doses of heavy-duty immunosuppressant medications. For Sharona to afford these she would have to earn 4 times that of her disability income.
We are working to raise enough funds for her immediate move and the entirety of Sharona’s prescribed treatments including; Prescription Medications, Naturopathic Remedies, Physical Therapy, Assistive Devices, Acupuncture, Therapy, Mental Health Care, Chiropractic Care, Learning Disability Assistance, Transportation to appointments and Homecare services for the year.
***Treatment Plan***
Prescribed treatment plan from Sharona's Specialists:
Medication Prescriptions - $210 per month x 12 months = $2520
Assistive Devices & Home Adaptations
-Walker = $200, Podiatry Orthotics = $250
Home adaptations on faucets = $250
Physiotherapy - $115 per session X 2 per month = $230 x 12 months = $2760
Mental Health Support Therapy - $120 x 2 per month = $ 240 x 12 months = $2880
Homecare - $120 per session x Twice per month = $ 240x 12 months = $ 2880
Learning assistance aid: $ 45 /hour x 2 hours twice per month = $180
Total x 12 months = $ 2160
Transportation to and from medical tests: $18 x 2 times per week = $36
Total x 12 months = $ 432
Chiropractic Care for spinal damage and nerve degeneration
- $200 consultation and medical exam
-$60 per session x 2 per month = $ 120 x 12 months = $ 1640
Naturopathic Supplements & Herbs - $140 per month x12 months = $ 1680
Acupuncture - $90 per session x 2 per month = $ 180 x 12 months = $ 2160
Precancerous cells treatment - $ 350 x 2 = $ 700
Registered Massage Therapist - $100 1 time per month x 12 months = $1200
Total Funds for Medical Care: = $22,576
Our stretch goal is $26,000 which would allow for Sharona's immediate fund for the move and to have access to additional money for the gofundme fees, groceries, and in case of further emergency.
Let's gather together to support her so that she can continue to work for CHANGE!!
**Please be respectful that most people with disabilities do not wish to disclose diseases, but are forced to in order to access adequate care.
Please use this information to educate yourself and others about rare childhood diseases that kids and adults face with multiple diagnoses. It would be deeply unethical to share her information for any other purpose but to provide holistic, tangible and genuine support.
Currently, Sharona requires emergency housing. The sanitation amenities in her apartment, such as the toilet and shower have stopped working. The landlord does not want to fix the plumbing or continue to rent the suite, as it will need complete renovation to repair the sewage line. They do not want to reimburse her rent and She needs to move immediately. This will be her third time moving to find accessible safe housing since the pandemic began.
Sharona has very limited physical mobility and does not have access to physiotherapy, homecare support, mental health support, or other prescribed treatments due to the exorbitant costs. Sharona lives alone, is immunosuppressed and through Covid, has found it increasingly more difficult to access care. Currently, Sharona has gone days without medications, treatments or groceries.
Often provided directly with supplies to make art from her bed; without reasonable income to pay bills, buy treatments, food or get by on, Sharona has been struggling immensely. Her friends have helped her frequently buying her medications, braces, wheelchair, canes, supplies, groceries, helping with utility bills, but it is completely unsustainable for her to continue to live this way.
In the past, she has worked many jobs, but due to physical decline has been unable to work regularly for some time. Because of this, Sharona is completely reliant on monthly disability rates to get by, and the generosity of friends, but these resources alone have never provided her with enough funds to access a stable treatment plan. Sharona was raised by a family with addiction and mental health issues. As a result, lived in multiple homes which led to the government becoming her guardian. Her lack of home and financial stability has been a largely missing component of her medical care.
As close, longtime friends of Sharona, we’ve watched her use her limited energy and physical capability to give back. Sharona is currently a national ambassador for the Arthritis Society of Canada for childhood arthritis. This is only one of the many ways that she is working to find creative solutions for disability-accommodating actions while challenging institutional rigidity. Her radical approach to disability education has been recognized by universities and institutions including MIT, Concordia, Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia and Emily Carr University of Art and Design.
Sharona’s has also helped develop and support a strong online disability community some examples of which can be viewed on Instagram:
@hot.crip a comedic, critical thinking, social community meme practice. LINK
@disabled_personals — a disabled friendship and dating account. LINK
@paid.technologies documents the stunning, surrealistic confections that she moulds and bakes into alternative realities. LINK
@star_seeded more personally focused artist account of textile work, publications and sculpture. LINK
Sharona's advocacy continues in her artwork by creatively integrating accessibility within the art by the plurality of all senses. With the inclusion of scented works, edible sculptures, audio captioning, short-form memes, conceptual work, poetry, zines, books, critical essays, talks, disability surveys and newsletters.
Her methodologies work to create educational access points for multiple age groups and demographics to develop diverse access points to engage with her art.
Her published art can be viewed here:
New York Times 1
New York Times 2
The Guardian UK 1
The Guardian UK 2
Canadian Art
The Globe and Mail
Art News
CBC
BBC
Vogue
Although her advocacy practice has acclaim, due to the rapid decline of her health, she has been unable to physically function daily for a considerable while, greatly affecting her work. As she is not paid for her interviews, meetings, advocacy, or funded by grants. Currently, she has very little means to live by, living well below the poverty line.
Sharona has been on exorbitant amounts of medication to get by, this is unsustainable. She needs regular medical care, and stability to support to bring her to a manageable level and slow the degenerative nature of her autoinflammatory/autoimmune diseases, to more mobility and functionality. Sharona's daily treatment plan includes antibody injections every 24 hours, and multiple doses of heavy-duty immunosuppressant medications. For Sharona to afford these she would have to earn 4 times that of her disability income.
We are working to raise enough funds for her immediate move and the entirety of Sharona’s prescribed treatments including; Prescription Medications, Naturopathic Remedies, Physical Therapy, Assistive Devices, Acupuncture, Therapy, Mental Health Care, Chiropractic Care, Learning Disability Assistance, Transportation to appointments and Homecare services for the year.
***Treatment Plan***
Prescribed treatment plan from Sharona's Specialists:
Medication Prescriptions - $210 per month x 12 months = $2520
Assistive Devices & Home Adaptations
-Walker = $200, Podiatry Orthotics = $250
Home adaptations on faucets = $250
Physiotherapy - $115 per session X 2 per month = $230 x 12 months = $2760
Mental Health Support Therapy - $120 x 2 per month = $ 240 x 12 months = $2880
Homecare - $120 per session x Twice per month = $ 240x 12 months = $ 2880
Learning assistance aid: $ 45 /hour x 2 hours twice per month = $180
Total x 12 months = $ 2160
Transportation to and from medical tests: $18 x 2 times per week = $36
Total x 12 months = $ 432
Chiropractic Care for spinal damage and nerve degeneration
- $200 consultation and medical exam
-$60 per session x 2 per month = $ 120 x 12 months = $ 1640
Naturopathic Supplements & Herbs - $140 per month x12 months = $ 1680
Acupuncture - $90 per session x 2 per month = $ 180 x 12 months = $ 2160
Precancerous cells treatment - $ 350 x 2 = $ 700
Registered Massage Therapist - $100 1 time per month x 12 months = $1200
Total Funds for Medical Care: = $22,576
Our stretch goal is $26,000 which would allow for Sharona's immediate fund for the move and to have access to additional money for the gofundme fees, groceries, and in case of further emergency.
Let's gather together to support her so that she can continue to work for CHANGE!!
**Please be respectful that most people with disabilities do not wish to disclose diseases, but are forced to in order to access adequate care.
Please use this information to educate yourself and others about rare childhood diseases that kids and adults face with multiple diagnoses. It would be deeply unethical to share her information for any other purpose but to provide holistic, tangible and genuine support.
Organizer and beneficiary
Chelsey Martin
Organizer
Vancouver , BC
Sharona Franklin
Beneficiary