Need Advice - Trouble with an artist

I just want to preface this with--I've already made the resolve to ask for a refund at the advice of my friend, I'm just giving background to my issue with this artist so to give you an idea with why it has gotten to this point. My issue is now with the refunding.

So at the end of March I commissioned an artist for a custom, at first it seemed pretty promising, the artist puts out a lot of adoptables, so I didn't really think it would pose an issue. I gave them space and waited about a two months before contacting them again, just to ask about an update. They said they'd make a sketch, and send in 24 hrs. 24hrs pass and I hadn't received anything, but trying to give them space, I again left it alone for another month. I contacted them again at this point and they told me they were hospitalized and had forgotten, but had the files on hand and would send it to me soon after they update the sketch. Bear in mind, I still hadn't seen the sketch at this point, so I have no idea if it was even done. Since they said they were in the hospital I gave them a lot more time. I went through some really, really bad times and by the time I contact them again, it was just at the start of the 5 month mark for paypal's protection fees. I contacted them again, but this time I seemed to have been ignored, as the note was read, but never responded to after 3 days. Throughout this whole thing, and even when they were apparently hospitalized, I knew they were pretty active. Because from the beginning of me commissioning them at the end of March to until now, they've posted about 40+ adoptables since then. Also, I haven't seen the "sketch" so I still don't know if it was actually ever done.

At that point I just sent them a new note asking for a refund after getting advice from a friend of mine. They ended up responding to this one, apologizing to me and asking if they could refund on the 7th of this month, and I agreed, because it would give them time at least to allot funds, I didn't want put too much pressure on them so I said sure. On the 7th, they asked for another week, on the 15th, and I still wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, so I again agreed. Now the paypal protection service ends on the 23rd or 24th, which I hadn't clarified, but I did tell them it was sometime this month, as a reason for my refund request. But come today, they sent me a note asking again, if they could extend to the 25th, apologizing and saying it wasn't enough for family spending. I'm really torn because I don't want to put this artist in a bad spot if they are indeed providing for their family but at the same time, I feel like I've been giving them a lot of time for this... It wouldn't be an issue if it was a small amount, but $185 is really too much for me to turn a blind eye to...

I just genuinely don't know how to respond at this point. I do want to give them time, but with the paypal protection service coming to an end, and with their prior history with me already, it just seems like I keep being led around. At the same time I really hate the idea of putting an artist in a bad spot so I just don't know what I should do.