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Your financial support also supports Mari’s family: her disabled Native mom, Mari’s special needs son, and her spouse Raspberry.

TL;DR: Disabled Native American has less than 30 days to pay back US Govt Disability for having earned “too much money” to collect disability (but not enough to live on). 

$4 and a share on your socials will save her life.

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Good news everyone! 

First, if you don’t know me, I go by “Mari” online. I’m a Native American disabled parent. I help support myself & my family by finding and sharing videos of cute cats or precious puppers, as well as Indigenous News. However, despite the rising costs of meds and specialists that I need, I’m about to fall off the US government’s Disability Care Cliff. My disability and illnesses will worsen. My child, spouse, mother, (an Indigenous Elder), and I could face homelessness if that happens! 

So, I hear you asking, what’s the good news?

You can end the debt with just $4 and/or a few friends! See? Good news! 

Yes, you read that right, just four American dollars, and a few buddies. If you can’t give $4, then can you and your friends please share this campaign everywhere?

If enough people plunk down $4, it will clear away debts that are preventing me from getting monthly treatment and prescriptions. A clean slate! 

To explain: When I started earning 2% more than my monthly rent, the Federal Government terminated disability benefits. Instead of telling me right away, they waited nearly TWO WHOLE YEARS until THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC to say (paraphrasing): 

“Hey now that you’re making a meager living, we the Federal Government decided that you’re no longer disabled for our purposes and you owe us 93% more than your monthly earnings! Also, we expect it within 30 days! Remember to get your flu shot!”

The pandemic is a terrible time to start playing Scrooge, even if it is the holiday season. Especially when my child (who has ADHD) AND my mom (who survived a stroke) play the Cratchits. 

As for me, I have Cerebral Palsy, Diabetes, Spinal Stenosis, Dyscalculia, cPTSD, Aphasia-patterned SPM, (e.g., I do not talk well out loud without meds) as well as a head full of other mental disabilities and illnesses you don’t have time for.

Have a break.

Ok. Back to it. 

Treating these conditions adds thousands of dollars to my medical costs. I was an inpatient at two hospitals three times within the last six years. The latest time was in early 2020 — don’t worry, that just turned out to be normal, boring pneumonia, not COVID-19! 

Also, I just received a 90-day “First Bill” for Medicare for $590.10.

I can't fight these bills in court. It’s an SSA judge; it’d be their house, their rules, and my word against theirs. I can’t pay for a disability lawyer without risking several months’ rent on my family’s apartment. (Let me stop you before you say it—the only legal aid in my state says I don't qualify for free help.) 

Without you, my Twitter followers, and friends, I don't know how to pay this stack of SSDI, medical & other bills I’ve got. I've started rationing critical meds & I'm REALLY not supposed to do that. But I can't see a doctor without paying the 20% Medicare gap. Which I can't afford. 

YIKES, right? 

The Social Security Disability department gets income data from my IRS tax returns. When I started earning more than $1,200 per month, the SSA decided I am no longer disabled, and am ineligible for benefits. But they waited two years to tell me that!

I have 10,100-ish followers on Twitter. Just $4 from each of them just once would wipe out this debt, the past debt from my teeth, and any processing charges. 

But we’re in a pandemic, so ouch everyone’s wallets. Some folks already have given, but I wanted to post an NPR-style fundraising thermometer on GoFundMe. However, that brings us to another problem … only 3% percent or so of my Twitter followers are also paying patrons, and I need way more people to donate $4 if I’m going to make any serious dent in this debt. 

Help me help others! Please give so I can get back to sharing important content about Indigenous peoples and awesome and funny pictures. And then tell a friend to tell a friend! Thank you so much.

Bamaapi! (Bye!)