Emergency Property Tax Fund

Hi, I’m David. After 20 years in academia and 10 years working for the health department and raising a son as a single parent, in 2015 I noticed that my hands felt like they were asleep, and walking began to feel funny. I consulted a neurologist, had an MRI, and was diagnosed with spinal stenosis. This is a condition where bone spurs grow inward from your vertebrae and threaten to cut off your spinal cord. Mine was happening in my neck, at cervical vertebrae C5 and C6; apparently, my spinal cord was trying to pass through a hole smaller than a dime. The doctor scheduled me for emergency surgery early the next morning. I ended up with a two-inch piece of metal holding my neck together where they cut away the backs of those vertebrae. My doctor told me I was lucky I wasn’t in a wheelchair.

I continued to work for the health department until August of 2019, when I found that my disability would no longer allow me to do the field part of my job. I was having real problems standing or sitting for long periods, walking always felt very uncoordinated, and I had to worry about falling in case I snapped my spinal cord. The situation wasn’t improved when someone pulled out in front of me in 2017 and I ended up with pieces broken off of my 3rd cervical vertebra. So, at the end of August 2019 I retired after 14 years. Then in 2021 I developed flesh eating bacteria and had to have surgery to remove the dead tissue and an extensive recuperation period. This is how I learned I had also developed type 2 diabetes.

There was still something I thought I could do. In 2017 I had acted as an expert witness for an environmental case, and I had really enjoyed it. In late 2019 I found a case, and I was able to get a little income before the case settled in January, 2020. I had high hopes that with my retirement and expert witness work, I might just make it.

Then the pandemic hit. I haven’t had an expert witness case since. Despite being listed with 3 expert witness directories, and a couple of nibbles, nothing has come along for over 4 years. I applied for and got classified as totally and permanently disabled by the SSA. I continue to pursue cases, but it’s been looking pretty bleak. I ended up getting several years behind on my property taxes, and it has gone over to the State Land Office, who will auction off my house this summer. I have nowhere else to live. Given the current housing situation, this is a real problem.

I desperately need help with this, and although I am still looking for other solutions, I am at the point where I can see no other real option but to create this GoFundMe in the hopes I can find some support this way. Please consider donating if you can, and if you cannot, please consider sharing this so that it can reach more people. I appreciate you taking the time to read this, every little bit helps, and God bless you all. Thank you!