The background and purpose of this campaign:

To explain this campaign, my name is Jarred, though some people know me as J.T. and I'm a 32 year old disabled man currently living in Alabama. I have chronic peripheral neuropathy and as such the nerves in my legs are slowly dying. This began in mid-2015 and started as severe burning pain in both feet as well as eventual lost of all physical sensation aside from the previously mentioned pain. The neuropathy has reached a point where the nerves no longer communicate properly with my muscles and the musculature from the knee down has started to atrophy. This makes walking or standing for even relatively short periods of time very painful. 

In November of 2022, the Birmingham DDS (Disability Determination Service) reached the conclusion that I am no longer disabled. This resulted in my only steady source of income being cut off later in February of 2023 along with all of my insurance. I quickly scrambled to find employment and found a position as a service clerk at a nearby grocery store, though immediately had to cut my hours as my legs began to be ground down by spending 4-6 hours a day on my feet without the aid of muscle. To put it lightly, this was no way to pay bills and I was barely earning enough to scrape by.

Now, my hours have been reduced so much that I'm only earning about $70 a week from my job. My grandfather, who had raised me for many years of my childhood, had graciously been helping me during this time by filling in gaps that I couldn't afford in bills and rent. However, my grandfather fell ill in late November and devastatingly passed late on the 4th of December. The DHS also didn't receive a form I had filled out (which I assume was lost in the mail) resulting in me losing EBT on November 30th. I'm working to correct this currently. Other family members (aunt, uncles) are rightfully preoccupied with the expenses from my grandfather's funeral and don't have much of any help to give.

After over a year of battling for reconsiderations and escalating my issue within the Social Security machine, I've finally been assigned a hearing with an administrative law judge on April 3rd. My issue is actually making it to April without lapsing on my rent, electric bill, medical debt payments, etc. 

The current state of things:

It makes me feel incredibly grimy to resort to a crowdfunding charity campaign, but the simple fact of the matter is that I do need assistance. I've spent the last month job hunting for a second position that I could work remotely but have found nothing that I meet the application requirements for (my area is heavily dominated by the real estate and insurance industries, both of which require state or federal licenses). I don't own a vehicle and the lack of sensation in my feet due to my condition means that driving is far less safe regardless. It's more frustrating than I can express to genuinely desire the ability to work a full-time job but being unable to. 

My mother will likely be able to provide a small amount of monthly assistance for groceries, but her position is also not very favorable and the amount she can aid me isn't enough to get by on.

The amount I'm asking for is broken down as follows:

Rent: $530/mo.

Power: avg. $68/mo.

Internet: $80/mo.

Medical: payment increments of $150/mo.

any additional payment for groceries I can (mostly) handle myself via income from work, however small. I'm also working on restoring my access to EBT to aid with food.

The ugly part:

Unfortunately, the Social Security Administration doesn't care all that much about "the little guy" as it were. I've gone through three reconsiderations on my case and all three have been denied within about a month and a half despite testimony from my own doctor, doctors assigned by the DDS, and my workplace (via a company-letterheaded third-party statement of support). What this means is that even the hearing in April may not be enough to successfully get back my disabled status from the SSA. The reality is that the biggest part of seeing an administrative law judge appears to be the demonstration of persistence that the claimant (myself) isn't pretending.

The mere fact that I managed to find an employer who would accommodate me (despite my own doctor's insistence that I'm harming myself even just working 4-6 hours a week and their own testimony that I cannot perform in a healthy manner with my condition) will likely be used against me during my hearing. It's an uphill battle and were it not such an outlandishly expensive request, I would also consider seeking funding for a disability attorney. This would total in the thousands of dollars, however, and because of my status as "formerly-disabled", I'll likely receive little to no backpay to afford their services should I be determined disabled again. I hope and pray that my battle can finally be won in April, but I don't know for sure

What I guarantee:

GiveSendGo doesn't allow perks or incentives, but even considering helping me out has my gratitude. I'm not famous or a cute little fellow in a heartstring-pulling tragedy like the movies. I'm probably not even that likeable. But what I am is a man with a painful chronic health condition that impacts my ability to work who is caught in a frightening situation. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't afraid and wondering about the immediate future. I don't drink, smoke, do drugs, or otherwise have any vices that tax the wallet or my physical health. Every cent is going toward simply keeping my head above water and buying time until I can plead my case to a judge in April. I'll do my best to make sure that each and every one of you understands in words the gratitude that I feel as well as keeping updated on my case. I've not stopped job-hunting and I don't plan to just sit around and wait. If you've read this far, I really appreciate it, and it means more than words can tell if you choose to help me.

As of June 2025 my immediate needs are covered and I'm now trying to chip away at the medical and credit card debt accrued during my fight with the social security administration. I've updated the goal to reflect that and will continue providing proof of payment for the donations I receive.