Stop Disabled HIV+ Man's Eviction
Donation protected
Hello everyone. My name is Michael and I was infected with the HIV virus in 1991.
At that time, the average life expectancy was five to ten years. With the little time I had left, I wanted to help make things better for others and myself. I quit my college Fine Art Photography program and moved to Los Angeles to fight for advances in HIV/AIDS funding and treatment, and for LGBT civil rights through creative collaborations and guerilla activism. This eventually landed me a job working on The Advocate magazine in 1995, which was still an underdog publication and one of a handful of national media voices calling for change. Loudly.
Thanks to educated friends and doctors, medical advances, and a will that forced me to keep fighting, I didn't die. In fact, I went on to work on some remarkable projects at The Advocate and other LGBT titles. But by 2007/'08, my health took an abrupt and accelerated turn for the worse, driven by a deteriorating spine and HIV-related inflammation. In 2012, my body was failing me on multiple fronts, leaving me disabled and unable to work.
Today, I can no longer sit or stand for extended periods of time due to the pain and swelling these positions create. An unsuccessful lower back surgery ultimately resulted in additional back and leg pain—and three more prescription pain pills added to my daily cocktail. Several epidural steroid injections that were meant to help me walk easier and reduce pain instead seem to be the cause of bilateral lymphedema, which is swelling in the feet and lower legs (lower right photo). To control the swelling, I now take four more prescription pills daily, wear prescription compression garments on my feet (day and night), which must be hand-washed daily and dried flat to avoid stretching.
I'm also stuck with a bladder that tells me it's time to urinate —but then holds on to everything for up to ten minutes. It also likes to leak. I now take oral medication for this schizophrenic organ. And then there are the temporary (but still terrible) afflictions, such as shingles (on my face, above left photo), and the "skin ulcers" primarily on my lower left arm (which can be seen in the above photo labled "November 2014"). The ulcers have been with me since mid-April of this year. After seeing six different doctors and applying multiple treatments—including full-body cleaning with a mixture of bleach and water — the ulcers finally appear to be healing.
In total, I now take 24 prescription pills every day (photo below). Several of the medications often make me feel drowsy, make concentration difficult, and require that I ingest another three non-prescription oral remedies to subdue some of the side effects. Obviously, social activities have drastically changed and are limited to the telephone and social media. I can sometimes attend an event about once month, such as a wedding or holiday gathering, which usually requires about a week of rest in bed afterwards to recuperate. Seriously.
What does this all have to do with eviction? Well, I have tapped out my cash savings, 401K balance, and credit, and have no source of revenue. Things are so bad that one of my slippers — which burst open when my foot swelled up — is now being held together with purple electrical tape because I can't afford a new pair.
But, just like in 1991, I am not willing to give up. I'm still a fighter. And if I learned anything during my time of activism, it's to know when to ask for help. That's why I started this Go Fund Me account.
The amount I need to survive is not outrageous — about $1,750 a month —thanks to rent control and AIDS Project Los Angeles' food pantry program. And my total monthly expenses are even less than the current median rent in Los Angeles.
I am currently weaving my way through the long process of obtaining my income from Social Security Disability Insurance, which began back in the summer of 2012. Maddeningly, it may take the over-burdened system another 18 to 24 months before I receive any money from the fund we all pay into (I paid into it for 29 years). So, my goal amount of $23.8K should take care of living expenses for about one year, plus any unexpected medical expenses. I'll deal with with what follows as it develops.
The great thing about Go Fund Me is that funds can be accessed as soon as donations have cleared—even if you don't reach your goal amount. This makes it possible for me to prevent eviction well before my goal amount is reached.
I've never been the kind of person who asked for help like this, and I do believe my situation will turn around. But until that time, I hope you can help me as I fight this current, serious battle. It does seem to take a village more than ever, and I deeply appreciate any assistance you can provide.
Thank you! — Michael
***********************************************************
Hello again!
Since Go Fund Me doesn't have a specific space for gifts to contributors, I'm noting here that any donation of $100 or more will be rewarded with a Tokidoki Unicorno from series one or series two. If you aren't familiar with the wonderful world of Unicornos, click here: http://www.tokidoki.it/unicorno/
At that time, the average life expectancy was five to ten years. With the little time I had left, I wanted to help make things better for others and myself. I quit my college Fine Art Photography program and moved to Los Angeles to fight for advances in HIV/AIDS funding and treatment, and for LGBT civil rights through creative collaborations and guerilla activism. This eventually landed me a job working on The Advocate magazine in 1995, which was still an underdog publication and one of a handful of national media voices calling for change. Loudly.
Thanks to educated friends and doctors, medical advances, and a will that forced me to keep fighting, I didn't die. In fact, I went on to work on some remarkable projects at The Advocate and other LGBT titles. But by 2007/'08, my health took an abrupt and accelerated turn for the worse, driven by a deteriorating spine and HIV-related inflammation. In 2012, my body was failing me on multiple fronts, leaving me disabled and unable to work.
Today, I can no longer sit or stand for extended periods of time due to the pain and swelling these positions create. An unsuccessful lower back surgery ultimately resulted in additional back and leg pain—and three more prescription pain pills added to my daily cocktail. Several epidural steroid injections that were meant to help me walk easier and reduce pain instead seem to be the cause of bilateral lymphedema, which is swelling in the feet and lower legs (lower right photo). To control the swelling, I now take four more prescription pills daily, wear prescription compression garments on my feet (day and night), which must be hand-washed daily and dried flat to avoid stretching.
I'm also stuck with a bladder that tells me it's time to urinate —but then holds on to everything for up to ten minutes. It also likes to leak. I now take oral medication for this schizophrenic organ. And then there are the temporary (but still terrible) afflictions, such as shingles (on my face, above left photo), and the "skin ulcers" primarily on my lower left arm (which can be seen in the above photo labled "November 2014"). The ulcers have been with me since mid-April of this year. After seeing six different doctors and applying multiple treatments—including full-body cleaning with a mixture of bleach and water — the ulcers finally appear to be healing.
In total, I now take 24 prescription pills every day (photo below). Several of the medications often make me feel drowsy, make concentration difficult, and require that I ingest another three non-prescription oral remedies to subdue some of the side effects. Obviously, social activities have drastically changed and are limited to the telephone and social media. I can sometimes attend an event about once month, such as a wedding or holiday gathering, which usually requires about a week of rest in bed afterwards to recuperate. Seriously.
What does this all have to do with eviction? Well, I have tapped out my cash savings, 401K balance, and credit, and have no source of revenue. Things are so bad that one of my slippers — which burst open when my foot swelled up — is now being held together with purple electrical tape because I can't afford a new pair.
But, just like in 1991, I am not willing to give up. I'm still a fighter. And if I learned anything during my time of activism, it's to know when to ask for help. That's why I started this Go Fund Me account.
The amount I need to survive is not outrageous — about $1,750 a month —thanks to rent control and AIDS Project Los Angeles' food pantry program. And my total monthly expenses are even less than the current median rent in Los Angeles.
I am currently weaving my way through the long process of obtaining my income from Social Security Disability Insurance, which began back in the summer of 2012. Maddeningly, it may take the over-burdened system another 18 to 24 months before I receive any money from the fund we all pay into (I paid into it for 29 years). So, my goal amount of $23.8K should take care of living expenses for about one year, plus any unexpected medical expenses. I'll deal with with what follows as it develops.
The great thing about Go Fund Me is that funds can be accessed as soon as donations have cleared—even if you don't reach your goal amount. This makes it possible for me to prevent eviction well before my goal amount is reached.
I've never been the kind of person who asked for help like this, and I do believe my situation will turn around. But until that time, I hope you can help me as I fight this current, serious battle. It does seem to take a village more than ever, and I deeply appreciate any assistance you can provide.
Thank you! — Michael
***********************************************************
Hello again!
Since Go Fund Me doesn't have a specific space for gifts to contributors, I'm noting here that any donation of $100 or more will be rewarded with a Tokidoki Unicorno from series one or series two. If you aren't familiar with the wonderful world of Unicornos, click here: http://www.tokidoki.it/unicorno/
Organizer
Michael Matson
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA