I am writing this letter because I want the people in Washington State to know how messed up our unemployment system is.

In February 2005, I was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder that is life threatening called Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

On Nov. 20, 2006, I had a relapse and was very ill. I went to the emergency room at Whidbey General Hospital and they transported me to Everett Providence Medical Center because my platelet level was so low. (At the onset of this, I also had a mild heart attack.) I was in the hospital for five days and then released to come home with a doctor’s note not to return to work until Jan. 2, 2007.

In the meantime, I filed for unemployment because I could not work and was on an unpaid leave of absence from work due to this autoimmune disorder that is uncontrollable.

I called unemployment and opened a claim as I was told that I have plenty of hours to be able to open a claim. So I did this, only to come to find out because I am not able to actively seek employment due to this condition I was denied. However, I have my job waiting for me after I am released to go back to work.

I was told to also apply for SSI/SSA because I am at high risk of relapsing again, according to my doctor. So, I called SSI/SSA and applied. I then was told that this takes four to five months for an approval or a denial.

What kind of treatment is this? I am a single mom of three kids. A month and half of living off of child support just doesn’t cut it. How am I suppose to give my kids what they need, pay rent, pay electric, and buy food, make a car payment and pay car insurance? I can not believe that I was denied my weekly benefits because I am unable to work because of an autoimmune disorder that I can not control.

However, you have these murderers and other people that abuse the system, rapists and druggies, out there who get first-hand treatment to reform them.

Then you have me, a hard-working single mother of three kids, who gets very ill at no fault of her own, and she gets shafted.

What kind of society do we live in?

Stephanie Burrows

Oak Harbor