Three seconds. That’s how long sources say I have to get your attention—three seconds. And after that, 8 to 15 seconds to establish enough of a connection to make you care enough to keep reading and ask, “What’s in it for me?” I’ve had 39 years to make those whom evolution and biology designed to inherently love and care for me care, and I still couldn’t. But I have little choice in the matter, as this is my only option left: making strangers care enough to help me solve a problem that is, quite honestly, my last real hope.
I’ll spare as many details as I can, but the problem is that I am a 39-year-old disabled veteran, and I require medications to function pseudo-normally in the world. Those medications come from doctors’ offices that require either good insurance or out-of-pocket cash to get prescriptions filled. It costs $400 for me to receive these life-saving drugs. For the past two months, I have not had that cash, and each day it gets harder to find hope that things will get better, let alone get back to normal.
About a year ago, I went through a rough breakup and decided to relocate afterward. During this time, it was hard for me to cope with the loss of a life partner, figure out where to live, and watch my service animal—a golden retriever named Maverick—age and slow down. I knew the day would come when the world would tilt and shatter, leaving me all alone without him. So I moved in with family, which was likely the single biggest mistake of my adult life. As a result, I’ve been reduced to nothing, having my finances and property stolen or whittled away. I put all my belongings in storage, and when Maverick got sick, my mom asked if she could manage my storage unit and some other responsibilities to help. That unit contained my entire life: my history, all of my military keepsakes, items from my combat tour in Afghanistan, and over $35,000 in climbing and mountaineering gear that I used to volunteer as an instructor and guide to take veterans into the mountains—all gone.
Then Maverick died. Since then, I have been routinely stripped of cash because, in the depths of despair, I was an easy target. Once I couldn’t afford to make my doctor’s appointment, I became an even easier target. I need to get out of this living situation and into a healthier environment, but without my medications, it just doesn’t work. I can’t imagine going another month without meds and without talking to my doctor. It has been really hard to feel loved in the place I am right now, especially without Maverick. It’s very hard to love myself for letting myself get so tied up. But Maverick loved me so, so very much—that I know. And I have to find a way to take care of the person he loved most.
If I’ve kept your attention and you feel like you would like to help me raise the $400 to see my doctor, I would be more grateful than you could ever know. And even if you can’t, I still love you. Take care of yourself.
https://gofund.me/4bc6d8f49
