College student Ashley Walker has big plans, despite going through a painful year. She's still hoping to graduate in 2018, with a major in astrochemistry no less, after losing her father, Kenneth Lovell, to lung cancer in August 2016.
"Me and my mom were both his caretakers, and my aunt she came in, my cousins and my oldest sister," Walker told WLS.
But Walker's luck didn't get any better after her father's death.
The Chicago State student was declined for Internet service. The CSU financial aid office was suddenly suspicious and needed to see her Social Security card.
So, Walker obliged and went Social Security office where she received some, well, interesting news.
Social Security informed her that she died back in August.
"I looked at him and said, 'August 31st?' And he said, 'Yeah!' And I was like, that's the day my father died," Walker said.
Walker's name is on her father's death certificate — as an informant. But credit agencies now seem to think she's dead as well.
"Where's my death certificate if I'm supposed to be dead, where's my death certificate? Nobody has one," she said, exasperated.
Turns out, being dead is a huge hassle.
Proving that you're alive requires filling out mountains of paperwork, apparently. However, Walker is hopeful that she'll be able to get the mess sorted out before next semester of school starts.
"I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. I don't want anyone to go through this. But I know it happens to people time and time again," Walker said.
If anyone can handle this insanity, it's Walker.
Her goal, which she's already on track to achieve, is to be the first black woman to ever become an astrochemist with a Ph.D. She's even qualified for a fellowship at Harvard University in the summer of 2017. But she needs to continue her research, and she can't be dead for that.
However, her "death" could jeopardize that.
Luckily, her school has been helpful and she should be considered alive and well (with all the necessary financial aid) soon.
You can watch Walker's interview below.
(h/t wls)
from Distractify http://distractify.com/news/2017/01/03/not-dead-guys
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