Help Sturg Fix Home and Get Medical Help

The Sturg's RV has a MASSIVE failure in the roof. They can't drive it until it's fixed because it could collapse. It's currently got a tarp with a roof in serious disrepair. They're in brutally cold Pennsylvania right now. The snow stuff is happening (shudder, says this Arizona gal), and they are suffering. He writes to save his mental health, but his physical health is in danger. However, it never stopped him from helping others:

"The publications I own are under an umbrella that I call International Indie Collective. The current publications under that umbrella are Digital Global Traveler, The Random Nerdiness Collective, The Community Building Movement, The Press Box, and Funny, Inc. I've been thinking about starting an LGBTQ+ publication for a while but haven't gotten that going yet since I already have a lot on my plate.

In August 2023, I also started editing for Patrick Stewart (spirituality, philosophy, religion) in the Taoist Online. I'm still editing there to this day. It's my favorite publication outside of my own that I edit at these days.

In October 2023, I became a boost nominator in the boost nomination pilot program. I still hold that role today and Digital Global Traveler is the official nominator publication that is tied to the program. I technically can nominate from any publication but I focus primarily on my original publication."

The Sturg will spend hours a day editing, boosting, writing, chatting, helping, and watching his stats climb without any earnings.

I joined Medium because I was looking for a consistent, professional platform to write on. I found more than a writing platform; I found a community.

One of our community members is someone who contributes behind the scenes. He helps people develop articles, and he's a nominator. He's started several publications. All of that work, and he hasn't made one single dime. 

He's hurting; he needs our help.

I was looking at people's profiles one day and came across one for The Sturg: @bluejayspanthersfanincali. I was intrigued because his profile said, "Gay, disabled in an RV, Cali-NY-PA, Boost Nominator. New Writers Welcome, The Taoist Online, Badform. Owner of International Indie Collective pubs." 

I'm a woman with disabilities, and I wondered what it would be like living in an RV. I had questions about publications. I think I commented on an article; looking back, it all happened fast. 

I was invited to the Medium Discord channel. "The Sturg" was there. He was engaging and welcoming and helped to make me feel as though there was a community of writing colleagues at my fingertips if I needed any direction or assistance. I have already learned so much about navigating Medium. 

The Sturg and I started chatting, and I learned that he lives in a broken RV with his partner, Mike. (On a personal note, I have to say they're ridiculously adorable together. The love is there.) The two of them both have disabilities and limitations. Because of Sturg's disability, he can't have any earnings.

I asked him about his life, and here's what he said: 

"I currently edit eleven publications, six outside of my own umbrella…I have edited over two dozen publications throughout my two-and-a-half-year writing career on Medium. I have written 1,360 stories in that time frame. For a while, I was averaging 60–70 stories a month. The most I've written was over 90 stories in June 2022. I currently have over 7,200 followers on Medium and 137 email subscribers. I never imagined how much Medium would affect and change my life."

And he hasn't been able to earn a dime. 

"Throughout this time, too, I haven't monetized a dime on the platform. It's a complicated situation that is something that I work through, constantly struggling with my current multiple health conditions and being limited physically. I get a lot of help from my partner in day-to-day activities"

Please help me raise the money needed to buy a new roof and complete some necessary medical treatments that are currently out of his price range. They're struggling, and look - I know we all are. The thing is, suffering is not relative. You can help someone and also be struggling - sometimes, it brings good karma. 

He's helped hundreds, if not thousands, of writers make their mark here on Medium. 

Can you give a few cups of coffee to help a kind man and his partner survive the winter? If the RV goes, they will be homeless. We can't let this happen. Two wonderful human beings need help, and you, my dear reader, are also a wonderful human. Could you give a little today?