This campaign is unpublished.

Introduction: Dear friends, family, and compassionate individuals around the world, My name is Akiva. I was born in Ghana, moved to New York in High School, attended university in Virginia and have worked with various non-profits in multiple countries for more than a decade. I have been blessed and am very grateful for the life I’ve been given and the experiences I have had. However, over the past few years, I have faced a series of unforeseen challenges that have greatly impacted my life, both physically and financially. Medical Journey: In 2020, my health took a drastic turn for the worse. I was diagnosed with MS and forced to leave my work abroad to seek treatment. To make matters worse, I was without insurance. Medical care in third world countries is very affordable, and I never imagined I would need such high level care, especially at my age. In an attempt to keep the costs relatively low without compromising quality of care, I pursued treatment in Ghana rather than the States. However, while receiving care for my MS I began having issues with my stomach that the doctors could not explain. In pursuit of answers, I journeyed back to New York where I currently reside. Fairly quickly, I was diagnosed with early stage stomach cancer. Thankfully, the tumor has been removed and the cancer is in check. For this, I am extremely grateful, but the battle isn’t over. As you can imagine, the financial burden that accompanies such medical care has become overwhelming. To be completely transparent, your generous contributions will help cover my mounting medical bills, enabling me to focus on my recovery without worrying about the crippling costs. Housing Stability: Amidst my health struggles, maintaining a stable living situation has become increasingly difficult. As medical expenses escalated, I fell behind on rent and now face the looming threat of eviction. The uncertainty of my housing situation has added another layer of stress to an already difficult journey. By supporting my campaign, you would provide me with the means to secure stable housing. Alleviating that stress would enable me to focus on healing my body and rebuilding my life. Rebuilding Dreams: Before my health setbacks, I had been pursuing an entrepreneurial dream–inspired in part by my non-profit work–that would provide for my own needs, but also lift up the marginalized communities I’ve served for the past decade. I am determined to transform my vision into reality and make a lasting impact on those in need through this startup business. Your generosity could help me turn my dreams into reality. By contributing to my campaign, you would empower me to establish my startup, creating much-needed jobs for those in need and working toward the betterment of whole societies in multiple parts of the world. Together, we can achieve remarkable outcomes and become a beacon of hope for others. Conclusion: Words cannot express the deep gratitude I feel for your consideration and potential support. The road may be long, but I am resilient. With your help, and by the grace of G-d, I know I can fully recover and continue to serve the needy in increasingly greater ways. Please consider supporting my GoFundMe campaign and sharing my story with your loved ones. Thank you for being a beacon of hope in my own darkest hours. With heartfelt thanks, Akiva Derick Wood