My name is Manuela and this is a very hard thing for me to do. I don’t know how to ask people for help, especially financially, but I am drowning in medical bills and they keep coming in because I have medical conditions that require me to get screenings each year for colon cancer due to my ulcerative colitis, my degenerative disc disease, and arthritis. Colonoscopies and MRIs are expensive, and even though I work a full-time job and have insurance, it never fully covers it and the bills keep piling up.
I am also the only person providing financial assistance to my now 23-year-old daughter that lives with me. She is not able to get a job due to medical and mental illness. Her Medicaid was cut off and I provide health insurance through my job, which puts a strain on my paycheck.
We have a lot of upcoming tests and medical procedures that will get expensive. For example, autism testing and dental work that will run around $4,000. Growing up, we didn’t know she was autistic, and a lot of people with autism have issues with brushing their teeth (the noise, the feeling, the touch). I need to help her find relief from the constant toothaches and the shame of having bad teeth, which lowers your self-esteem and raises your already existing anxiety and depression. Help me put a smile back on her beautiful face.
As her mother and caregiver, I feel that I have failed her because I cannot provide for her financially because of all the bills, and I want to just ask if anyone would be willing to help me out so I can stop stressing so much over these bills. Stress can also flare up my ulcerative colitis, which in turn makes it harder for me to work.
Thank you for reading my story and for your time and possible donations.
