Damon & Amenie: Help Ease Medical Expenses
Donation protected
This GoFundMe has set a goal to raise $10,000 to help our friends Damon and Amenie fund a diagnosis for Damon’s serious health issues. Please read their story below and donate what you can!
Background: Behind the counter at the Blue Phoenix in Lexington, Virginia, Damon and Amenie have been cooking up fantastic vegetarian foods for over four years - five, if you count Amenie's work back when the restaurant was known as Counter Culture. Delicious standards such as the California Club, the Harvest Moon Wrap, the Phoenix Salad, the Aloha Sandwich, Trail Magic Salad, not to mention dozens of steaming, savory soups and delicious desserts like cinnamon buns with frosting, have fueled professors, students, retirees, downtown business folks, bikers and hikers, toddlers and teens, and many others. It’s the place to meet for healthy, uplifting meals with the people you love. The food is outstanding, but the atmosphere of caring and community outreach is even more satisfying. Thanks to their "Everyone Eats" meal-voucher system that allows community members to feed those in need with food & dignity, the scrupulous and easy recycling system, poster parties for environmental marches, and just plain old asking "how are you today?" and waiting for an honest reply, the Blue Phoenix has become a loving heartbeat for our town. Amenie and Damon have been involved in many aspects of social justice and community outreach, as well as 1:1 assistance to many in our town, giving generously of their time and talents.
Sadly, now the two people behind all of this beauty now need our help in return: Damon has been hit with serious health issues that have drained the couple's savings, and made it necessary to sell the restaurant so that Amenie and Damon can relocate. Today (October 12, 2019) Amenie was offered and accepted the Hospitality Director position at the Monroe Institute; she starts a week from Monday and will be commuting until they are able to move closer to Charlottesville in December. This puts Damon closer to his doctors and the position will be less time-consuming job for Amenie (she also has a young son, as well as a father and in-laws also facing health difficulties).
History of Damon's illness: Sometime in March 2018, Damon began to experience excruciating headaches, accompanied by a fever that lasted for three months. From the toes up, his skin became numb, and he experienced profound problems with mobility and balance (it's hard to stay upright when you can't feel where your body is). A formerly healthy 33-year-old, he had been working 16-hour days at The Blue Phoenix; this dropped to 0 hours in March. At times, he experiences a loss of vision, when everything turns bright white; he is deeply fatigued all the time, and he has chronic neurological pain that no painkiller seems to touch. He was tested for Lyme (negative, though such tests have to be repeated as the test itself is flawed) and did the full antibiotic regime for Lyme; tests have revealed an inflamed prostate, though that does not explain his other symptoms in the least. He is currently on seven different medications. This health challenge creates its own illnesses: Damon now experiences depression brought about by a sense of loss and helplessness.
Financial need: To make a long story short, in the last six months Damon and Amenie have quickly spent their entire savings trying to find a diagnosis for Damon’s health issues; that’s $5,000 out of pocket for appointments and medications not covered by their ACA. All that, and no diagnosis is anywhere in sight. We hope that with another $10,000, a diagnosis – at the very least – might be possible. Damon has neurology appointments coming up in November '19 and March ’20 (such appointments take months to schedule).
Amenie and Damon have given their all to our town. Please help by donating what you can to fund a diagnosis for Damon. “We’ll deal with treatment costs when we get there,” Amenie says, “right now, we just need to find out what is causing his pain and lack of mobility, and that’s an expensive task.”
Background: Behind the counter at the Blue Phoenix in Lexington, Virginia, Damon and Amenie have been cooking up fantastic vegetarian foods for over four years - five, if you count Amenie's work back when the restaurant was known as Counter Culture. Delicious standards such as the California Club, the Harvest Moon Wrap, the Phoenix Salad, the Aloha Sandwich, Trail Magic Salad, not to mention dozens of steaming, savory soups and delicious desserts like cinnamon buns with frosting, have fueled professors, students, retirees, downtown business folks, bikers and hikers, toddlers and teens, and many others. It’s the place to meet for healthy, uplifting meals with the people you love. The food is outstanding, but the atmosphere of caring and community outreach is even more satisfying. Thanks to their "Everyone Eats" meal-voucher system that allows community members to feed those in need with food & dignity, the scrupulous and easy recycling system, poster parties for environmental marches, and just plain old asking "how are you today?" and waiting for an honest reply, the Blue Phoenix has become a loving heartbeat for our town. Amenie and Damon have been involved in many aspects of social justice and community outreach, as well as 1:1 assistance to many in our town, giving generously of their time and talents.
Sadly, now the two people behind all of this beauty now need our help in return: Damon has been hit with serious health issues that have drained the couple's savings, and made it necessary to sell the restaurant so that Amenie and Damon can relocate. Today (October 12, 2019) Amenie was offered and accepted the Hospitality Director position at the Monroe Institute; she starts a week from Monday and will be commuting until they are able to move closer to Charlottesville in December. This puts Damon closer to his doctors and the position will be less time-consuming job for Amenie (she also has a young son, as well as a father and in-laws also facing health difficulties).
History of Damon's illness: Sometime in March 2018, Damon began to experience excruciating headaches, accompanied by a fever that lasted for three months. From the toes up, his skin became numb, and he experienced profound problems with mobility and balance (it's hard to stay upright when you can't feel where your body is). A formerly healthy 33-year-old, he had been working 16-hour days at The Blue Phoenix; this dropped to 0 hours in March. At times, he experiences a loss of vision, when everything turns bright white; he is deeply fatigued all the time, and he has chronic neurological pain that no painkiller seems to touch. He was tested for Lyme (negative, though such tests have to be repeated as the test itself is flawed) and did the full antibiotic regime for Lyme; tests have revealed an inflamed prostate, though that does not explain his other symptoms in the least. He is currently on seven different medications. This health challenge creates its own illnesses: Damon now experiences depression brought about by a sense of loss and helplessness.
Financial need: To make a long story short, in the last six months Damon and Amenie have quickly spent their entire savings trying to find a diagnosis for Damon’s health issues; that’s $5,000 out of pocket for appointments and medications not covered by their ACA. All that, and no diagnosis is anywhere in sight. We hope that with another $10,000, a diagnosis – at the very least – might be possible. Damon has neurology appointments coming up in November '19 and March ’20 (such appointments take months to schedule).
Amenie and Damon have given their all to our town. Please help by donating what you can to fund a diagnosis for Damon. “We’ll deal with treatment costs when we get there,” Amenie says, “right now, we just need to find out what is causing his pain and lack of mobility, and that’s an expensive task.”
Fundraising team (2)
Deborah Miranda
Organizer
Lexington, VA
Amenie Hopkins
Beneficiary
Amenie Hopkins
Team member