Multiply Disabled Single Mother Needs Grant Miracle Or Employment
by Lori
I have been searching for work for the last 18 months. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in History, and I have worked as a Web front-end developer since 2005. Prior to that, I was employed as a Web and graphic designer in both the apparel and print industries. Despite my education, excellent work history and abundant skills, I have not been able to secure permanent employment. I have 3 distinct disabilities: chronic insomnia, major depression (an Axis 1 diagnosis) and indeterminate Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). I have grappled with depression for more than 20 years. My insomnia is the result of both severe Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and moderately severe Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD). These disorders are neurological, and are related to Parkinson’s disease and other tremor disorders. My IBD presented when I was my second trimester of pregnancy. My diarrhea was so severe that I nearly died, and my gastroenterologist recommended that I terminate my pregnancy to save my own life, which I refused to do. A full medical workup was determined to be too risky, so my doctors treated my symptoms and deferred a full workup until after my daughter was born. But, all the immune system markers come back negative for both Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease. At this point, the approach is identical for both diseases. A large software manufacturer employed me until November 2009. I lost my position as a direct result of my IBD. This illness is extremely unpredictable. My IBD makes it impossible to control my bowels. I simply cannot “hold it” until I can safely reach a restroom. When the IBD was at its worst, I had more than 40 extremely painful bowel movements a day, usually with less than 30 seconds of “warning.” The hour-long commute from my home to my workplace at 7:30 in the morning was quite literally logistically impossible. If there is a line in a public restroom, I lose control of my bowels while waiting. My employer expected me to wear a diaper to drive to work, walk through a crowded executive lobby to a small public restroom with no shower facility, and use wipes to clean myself before going to my work area. Because I did not feel that this demand was reasonable, I requested the right to telecommute, as many of my colleagues were allowed to do. My employer refused. Eventually, my employer lost patience and rolled me into a large layoff so that I would be unable to prove discrimination and take legal action. In the last 3 months, I have sold my wedding ring, my mother’s wedding ring, most of my furniture, and half of the computer equipment I need to do my job – all to keep my daughter safe and fed. I desperately need employment, and I send applications and resumes every single day. I no longer look “in my field.” I will take any job that is offered. Out of literally hundreds of applications, I have had more than 50 interviews for great jobs in the last 3 months, but no offers. I receive $145.38 a week in child support. Both unemployment and state disability have officially run out. I am in the process of applying for my federal disability benefits, but that is months away and would cover only a third of my rent and no more. I qualify for CalFresh (food stamps) and I am grateful to have that assistance! We are in a safe neighborhood with a good school and good afterschool program. My rent is $900 for 576 square feet -- significantly below market. I have a secure upper one-bedroom with an off-street, private parking space, and we are less than a block from school. To find cheaper rent, we would need move into a studio that is in gang territory. Further, I have no money for deposits, first and last, etc. My landlady is still willing to work with me. However, the HUD rental assistance and other program waiting lists are closed. The “Homelessness Prevention” programs available through local charities require proof that I will not fall behind again, in the form of 3 months of paystubs. My parents are deceased, and my sister is unable to help. Representatives with public agencies tell me that it is not necessary to have a car or a phone to get a job, and that I already make “a lot of money.” They say that I am being foolish when I claim that losing everything and moving to a homeless shelter would make it even more difficult to secure employment. I need money to pay the bills while I try to secure employment. We are so behind that I can't pay the car payment, the phone or electricity. I am looking for grants, benefits, donations, job leads and anything that will help us not lose everything. Time has completely run out for me. We need a miracle.
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