My URL: http://www.microgiving.com/profile/penelopea-i-p Offline |
Member Since: 05/01/09 | Login Count: 167 | Profile Views: 4419 | Last Login: 12/21/11
Biography
I'm 28 years old. I was diagnosed with a rare life-threatening blood disorder called Acute-Intermittent-Porphyria. I was just 21 years old when I had a severe attack that left me bedridden and wheelchair bound. This severe acute attack I had caused me to have scary and bizarre symptoms such as high blood pressure, severe pain in my whole body, and nerve damage that left me in the hospital for a month. I also had seizures.
I decided to try to raise donations after I got sick, to help build my wheelchair-accessible home that I really needed, so that I can have more mobility and get better quicker. We had lost our home due to the land being sold underneath us and being on our own after my stepdad left us after 17 years of marriage to my mom. I was sick and couldn't work and my mom had to take care of me everyday, he left us with nothing and going to be homeless. We lived in our van and out of tents, while I was bedridden! until a stranger loaned us a travel trailer to live in and we started buying a small lot with monthly payments.
We were desperate for help and I wrote my story and shared it with the world online. Disabled-world.com donated $500! to get my donations started.:) That was my first donation. Because of that donation I've raised $800 total, from other friends and family, and me saving, but I still need more donations for buying the building materials we need to build with and for paying for manual labor we will need. I'm hoping that people will find it in their hearts to donate like Disabled-world.com found it in their hearts to. I mean they didn't even know me personally but they just wanted to help me without expecting anything in return, but just because I needed help. Do you know how rare that is, nowadays in this technology age we live in? And then I found out that the creaters of Disabled-world.com don't even live in the United States!! They live in Canada! and they wanted to donate to help me build a house in America! It was just so amazing of them. It inspired me to want to honor their donation and never give up until I reach my donation goal and build our wheelchair accessible house. They have even encouraged others to donate like they did, but with little luck. I was so hoping others would be just as giving as Disabled-world and be inspired to give because of what they gave, but my donations basically stopped. I think they were hoping to inspire a few donations at least, but none came. But, I could not, would not give up! I started my porphyria blog and put my donation request up there, with little luck. I did some online research about how to raise donations online and I found microgiving.com. I had nothing to lose and I decided to give it a try. I sent in all my verifying documents(I love getting verified, It helps your donation request people)(I was also verifed at Disabled-world.com). And so here I am now, talking to you and I've gotten some donations here now which have helped me keep raising donations and keep reaching for that goal, one day we will get there. Thank you Microgiving!
Any donation amount is welcome and a blessing for us. I was thinking that a bunch of small donations would help me reach my goal faster. My full porphyria story is posted on my porphyria blog, just google my porphyria blog or penelopes disabled blog, if you would like to read my porphyria story and learn more about this rare blood disorder. I will post it in my microgiving journal also. Thank you for taking the time to read this biography. Sincerely, Penelope B.
My Purpose
If I can help improve my quality of life and my mom's quality of life by raising donations while I'm sick and stuck in bed I will feel a lot better than just lying there in bed doing nothing. I have supported myself and my mother on just my disability every month, and it's just not enough to take care of us both the way we need.
Recent changes in my life : My Mom got her disability! Yay!
Favorite board game cards, crazy eights
What is most important thing in your life? My Mom
Pick five words that describe yourself : honest, giving, caring, sweet
Can you juggle ? No
What is your favorite day? July 4th
What is your favorite season? Fall
What is your favorite meal? Baked Chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy
What time do you wake up in the morning? Late. I'm a night owl, can't sleep.
Comedy or Horror? Comedy
If you could build a house anywhere, where would it be? On my own land of course. This is what I'm raising donations for- a house.
What is your greatest ambition? To get better and to have my own business one day.
What characteristics do you think you've inherited from your parents? Talkitive, sweet, giving, caring
What do you never leave home without? My purse
Who would you most like to meet? James Franco or Keanu Reeves
If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it? I would build our house, but I would also help some family and friends,and I would give back here at microgiving and other causes.
Hobbies and Talents : I can draw and I am good at making jewelry.
List achievements and any future educational plans : I graduated high school early with honors, and maybe someday I'll go to college, but I'd really like to own my own business and make my own jewelry line.
Photos Of Penelope
(Photos: 9 | Views: N/A | Last upload: September 18th, 2010 )
Our travel trailer
This is a picture of me and my mom right after I became very sick from an acute porphyria attack. We are very close.
Me and Mom
handmade beaded choker by me
Me at my junior prom I was 17.
Inside our travel trailer. Barely room to walk let alone use a wheelchair.
beaded choker
Icestorm 2009, we had to go stay in a shelter. There was no power for over a week.
It's been a while since I've written in my journal here, about eigh months, so I thought I'd make an entry. A lot has been going on! So I'll tell you all about it. First, My mom finally got her SSI! Yay! and then We(me and my mom) applied for a USDA loan soon after. We have been approved to apply for a certain amount. I won't say how much it is but it should be enough to build a house or buy one. We are praying that we get approved and can start building our house before Christmas! We are so excited, before we had little hope of being able to build now our dream of a secure future is in reach! I did the DNA testing for my specific gene defect, had to have my blood drawn. I'm resting a lot before my birthday which is in September and after my 29th birthday I plan to rest a lot, I'm really hoping to be feeling better and more active by my 30th birthday which is a year away. I'm setting a goal towards getting better. My best friend is getting married in October in Geor >>>
Description: My mother and I were once homeless together. I couldn't work because I'm sick
and my mother is disabled now. My stepdad left us and we lost everything.
We are now living in a tiny travel trailer that was loaned to us and buying the lot
it's on.
My progress:
This is a one time only expense assistance request .
My message:
Supporting Documentation: Penelope has the following documentation
Progress:
$ (100%)
Still needed: $0
Request was active: 394 days
Request created: Jul 21st, 2009 | Request views: N/A | Request modified 5 time(s) | Last modified: Jun 15th, 2010
Unexpected Illness
Disabled
July 16, 2009
Personal Fundraiser
Unexpected Illness
Expense
Description: This donation will be put with other donations that goes towards buying building materials
for a wheelchair-accessible home and handicapped bathroom. I was diagnosed with a rare
blood disorder called Acute-Intermittent-Porphyria when I turned 21 and it caused me to
wind up in bed and need a wheelchair. I am aenemic, iron defiecient, and I have immune
defiecencies. My whole story is on Disabled-World.com in the disability stories as 'A
Genuine Plea For Assistance', but I will also post my story on my journal here at
microgiving.com. Disabled-world.com got the donations going wih a $500 donation and
they've encouraged and invited other businesses, websites and individuals to donate as
well. I am hopeful of any donations from microgiving.com. This picture is of me and my
Mom, taken right after I was diagnosed. I will post pictures of the wheelchair-accessible
home build on Disabled-world.com and my blog and here at microgiving on my media file.
My progress: $800
This is a short term need assistance request for 2 adults
My message:This is a request for a donation to be put with other donations I've already raised. I'm sending my required documents soon.
Supporting Documentation: Penelope has the following documentation
Do you qualify for any additional help?: Medicare
What local/other agencies have you contacted?: Social Security Disability
Did you get denial letters? (if so are they attached to your request?): No, I was approved
What other sources of income do you or your family receive?: None.
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Member Since: 05/01/09 | Login Count: 167 | Profile Views: 4419 | Last Login: 12/21/11 
