Hi! My name is Samantha Mejia and I am living with Brugada Syndrome, Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and a litany of other chronic health issues. I am asking for help paying off the current loan for my lemon-mobile, so that I can afford to trade it in and purchase a mechanically sound car. My health issues have made it impossible for me to work, and I need a reliable car to take to my medical appointments. Any amount of money you can afford to give to my cause would change my life for the better.
I was let go from my job of three years as a Human Resource manager for Walmart because I started having health issues that required weekly visits to specialists and urgent care centers in April of 2024. Since then, I have had 9 different surgeries in less than a year on my heart, cervical spine, and uterus. Despite all of these procedures, I am still experiencing frequent blackouts, painful dislocations, swollen joints, stabbing nerve pain, and other more intimate health issues. I lost my career, my ability to visit friends and family members, and my independence. I am only 25 years old, but my body is constantly failing me. In one year, I had to trade my entire life in for medication organizers, a permanent heart device, regular pain management appointments, and thousands of dollars in medical debt. I have no idea what my future holds, or if I will ever be fully independent again.
My family has stepped up and taken care of me in more ways than you can imagine, and I am extremely grateful for them. However, there is an issue. The only vehicle I have access to, the one I drive to all of my appointments, tests and scans, is a lemon. It’s crap. My mom and step-dad replaced the transmission just last December, and it is already failing again due to a manufacturing issue that Ford admitted to in civil court. There were options for remuneration, but all claims were due in November of 2020, and I didn’t buy this car until March of 2022. I had no idea that my 2016 Ford Fiesta with only 40,000 miles on it was going to be this big of a money pit.
So here is where I turn to you, random internet strangers, and ask if you can spare any money to help me pay this lemon off and trade it in for a more reliable car. I have doctor’s appointments almost weekly, and I can’t miss them due to the complexity and severity of my issues. There are even more procedures that I have to do this year, but I had to push them off due to the financial stress of my current situation. I would love to be able to put this anxiety-ridden money trap out of the minds and wallets of my family, as they have more than enough to worry about on their own. If you can donate or share this fundraiser, I would really appreciate any help that is given.
Thank you for listening to my story and thank you for taking time out of your day to help my family and I during these uncertain times.