Sara R, one of our beloved quilt sisters, has a birthday today. She, her sister winglion (Ann), their five cats and four chickens have much to celebrate on a daily basis, as Sara herself shared in a diary from last Friday night. We here are very lucky to have them both, given all that they contribute to the strength and cohesion of the Daily Kos community.
Precisely because Sara and Ann are such integral members of this community, it is my privilege to ask Kossacks for help on their behalf, as one way to celebrate Sara's birthday.
Please follow me beneath the intertwined pootie tails for more information. And for music!
This past June, we came close to losing Ann to a mysterious infection. The cause of it is probably rat bite fever, though that is a very hard condition to diagnose. It seems likely that she contracted it through her work at a pet store. It was serious enough to cause Ann to develop sepsis, a potentially fatal complication, and it was a near thing for her to recover without permanent organ damage. However, her survival required several days of hospitalization with rounds of heavy-duty IV antibiotics as her body fought off the illness. She is better, for the most part, but her stamina and resistance to other bugs are not what they used to be.
Many of us know from first-hand experience the kind of cascade that gets kicked off by illness. Fortunately, Ann does have health insurance, since Oregon accepted the Medicaid expansion program. (Thanks, Obamacare!) That means her medical bills didn’t break their budget entirely. But even with that, Ann doesn’t get paid time off from her job for illness or recovery; if she doesn’t work, she doesn’t get paid. So for several months now, while she strives to get back to full health, Ann has not been able to put in the hours she once did. (That’s leaving aside the issue of her employer’s cutbacks to staff hours, another significant setback.) While Ann was so ill, Sara was her principal caregiver. That, too, set them back financially since the time given to care (and the emotional wear and tear of such a close call) made it difficult for Sara to continue to make quilts.
Ann and Sara live very frugally. They were fortunate to be able to buy their house in Portland thanks to an inheritance from their parents. This has meant all the difference to them in recent years. Still, they have no cushion in their monthly cash flow even in the best of times. These have not been the best of times. On top of Ann and Sara’s work loss, they’ve had some unusual, extraordinary expenses. Here are only the lowlights of the past few months for them.
A raccoon came into their yard in broad daylight and snatched a hen, totally atypical behavior for a raccoon. (Not the chicken-snatching, but doing it during the day.) Since only sick animals act that strangely, they had to pay a pest control specialist to capture the raccoon and the rest of its family, so as not to endanger Ann or anyone else, including the chickens. The trapper said later he thought the raccoons likely had tularemia, which is transmissible to humans. Then they had to hire someone to take care of a beehive located under the chicken coop, in a place impossible for them to access. In July, Ann had another sudden illness that required Sara to leave NN14 in Detroit early to get home to her sister, costing a couple of hundred dollars in ticket fees. And then throughout the fall, several of their cats have had acute illnesses requiring urgent care, particularly Basement Cat Betty who now has kidney and thyroid issues.
You can probably tell by now where I’m going with this. Sara and Ann need help at this point getting out of the financial hole they fell into, largely because of Ann’s illness but complicated by all these other truly random crises. It’s crucial now because their annual property taxes are due. Most years, they’d be ready for them. This year, they’re not.
We are seeking to raise $4,000 for them in the next week, to pay the tax bill by the 17th of this month and get a little discount.
Here's How You Can Help
- Send a donation via PayPal PAYPAL DONATION BUTTON HERE (link to "for the quilters").
- Send a donation by check Kosmail Sara R for their snail mail address.
- Send a donation via Square Those of you who have access to it might find it appealing. If that applies to you, please message Sara with the amount and their email and she will send an invoice.
- Purchase a Pootie Pad, a Pootie Pad for Pooches, or a Pootie Pad for People. Their latest diary to publicize their Pootie Pads can be found here. (They're still offering sale prices!)
- Commission a custom quilt, with at least partial pre-payment. Kosmail Sara R to make arrangements.
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We will keep a running update of funds received as best as we can. As you might surmise, it'll be a little tricky to keep track of all these potential sources.
Thank you for any help that you can offer. Recs, tips, shares, contributions in any amount all make a difference. We are all extremely grateful for your support.
On Behalf of the Daily Kos Community, Here's Wishing Sara a Very Happy Birthday!
8:17 PM PT: Good news! As of about 10:00 PM ET, the total donations (in hand) had reached $1045! Hooray--we're over one-quarter of the way to our goal!
Thank you everyone for all your participation tonight. It's been absolutely delightful.
I must attend to some family business now and might not be able to return here till morning. But I will be back to finish my thank-yous. You are all the best. Hugggs!
Wed Nov 12, 2014 at 10:12 AM PT: Thank you to all who have commented, recced, tipped, shared, and donated. I had to take a break from replying, but I hope to finish this evening. (I have arthritis in my fingers, and sometimes they have just had enough. Plus, several family and personal obligations this week also clamor for my attention.) Your generosity and support deserve much gratitude.
Meanwhile, this fundraising diary has been superseded by a brilliant and eloquent one written by Onomastic. Please go over there and show her and Sara and Ann some love if you can. Thanks again. Here's the link: http://www.dailykos.com/...