Left Scleral Contact Lens & Back to Work Fund

“Be a Goldfish!” - TED LASSO Hi family, friends, colleagues, and followers, Dave Gardner, your favorite Entertainment PR / Professor / SuperFan here. I am swimming as hard as I can and need your HELP right now to 1) stop from being evicted my apartment / keep power on in July and 2) move forward with a left-eye cornea transplant (@Sept) to restore full vision.  Many of you know my professional story & have followed my Hollywood adventures thru 200+ TV series (Heroes, The Office, Veronica Mars, Star Trek), specials, and events. I’ve worked for Turner, FX, CBS International, ABC Family/Disney Channel, UPN, UP & Magic Johnson’s aspire, and represented Lionsgate TV, E! International, SXSW Gaming Awards and more. Plus, after fnishing my Master’s at GSU in 2012, I have taught at three different universities. At the same time, I’m a typical Gen Xer. The perfect age to have been financially hit by all the big entertainment biz conglomerations, 3 recessions, COVID, etc. Here’s what most you don’t know: I have been quietly dealing with periods of full blindness/low vision for several years now. Scary. Debilitating. ER visits and one doctor after another.  My Medical Mystery Tour recently led to a “ocular rosacea” diagnosis, a stress-based condition. (seeing new doctor this Friday to rule out another potential diagnosis). Last Thanksgiving, an escalating low vision flare up— a whiteout, as I call them — led to a household accident that ruptured my Left eye. I spent 10 hours in Piedmont Hospital ER before they transferred me to Grady’s trauma unit. At 3am, a trio of hero eye specialists patched my eye back together with a contact lens, super glue, and the edge of a needle — while I was wide awake, Clockwork Orange eye opener in place. That said, I am lucky their work saved my eye. I was fully blind through December. And the overall facial injury severely impacted my Right eye too. So I’ve just really recovered full vision in the Right eye. Just cleared to drive last week. #YearOfMyHealth While recovering, I was unjustly fired by my employer. Open Hand Atlanta (thru Covid -) and AID Atlanta (until now) have kept a roof over my head, power on, and kept me fed.  BUT since the beginning of the June / “Pride - lgbtq+2s community month,” AID Atlanta (sadly), Joining Hearts, HOPE Atlanta, Buckhead Christian, Jewish Family & Career Services and all the other ATL / HIV / disability “safety net” organizations have informed me that they are out of funds for the fiscal year. So, I couldn’t pay June rent ($1700). July rent ($1700) is due on the 3rd. And Monroe Place Apts management plans on filing the Eviction notice after July 4th. It’s been disheartening — Last week, AID Atlanta offered to give me a list of homeless shelters. Joining Hearts board prez brushed me off with a “hope the community helps you.” My Social Security Disability and Unemployment claims are in. One bureaucratic snag after another. Still, I am confident — and stubborn enough to keep fighting for these 2 sources of income and my full health / employment.  In the meantime, I need your help keeping my apt; getting my cornea transplant and vision back. I know I can get to the other side of this holistically better. I start injections in my Left eye this Thursday (6/29) with GA Eye’s Dr. Nichelle Warren to get it into shape for the transplant. I will keep everyone updated on progress. It’s hard for me as a self-sufficient guy to ask for help like this. #DestroyingMyEgo #NotAshamedToAskForHelp #LookingForward #HealthHappinessWealth Please donate. And share this link with everybody you know. It’s not a myth that we are all one accident / illness away from catastrophe. Big hugs to you all and thank you. Warmest regards, David p.s . - Amazon list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/iGbvvYm?ref_=wl_share