Good news
I spoke to my aunt Melanie, about the $1200, because she called about half an hour after I found out. She, not upon my request, told my grandmother (father's side) about the problem. For "this one time only" she is sending a $1200 check. That's pretty amazing. Still a loss, in the long run, but now it's not fucking up my life. Yay. Thanks for all your words of comfort in the brief interim, guys.