Olivia Brezicki

Hi! My name is Olivia. I'm 22 years old, a mother, and one of 17 people in the United States and about 600 worldwide. I have a neurodegenerative disease called Stiff Person Syndrome PERM, which is the most fatal version on the spectrum, with a 100% death rate between 6 weeks and 3 years without immunotherapy treatment. I have been fighting for my life and to find my diagnosis, and I finally have after a year and a half. I experience spasms intense enough to break bones, rip muscle fibers just to move, as well as autonomic disfunction that causes me to not be able to regulate my bodies temperature, causes my circulatory system to shut down, makes my heart beats unsteady and the most common cause of death is asphyxiation due to spasms in the diaphragm. I am on a mostly liquid diet at this time because anything I consume causes extreme inflammation I and cannot wait to eat again. This disease causes inflammation in the brain, brain stem, and spinal cord meaning it affects every aspect of my body. Nothing is the same, but I will keep moving for as long as I can.  Health and exercise have always been a passion of mine. Please help me become more like myself again! I developed this rare condition because of severe trauma, devastating neglect, debilitating amounts of stress, abuse, and adult responsibilities I experienced throughout my young childhood and early adulthood due to significant family struggles and being my mother’s caregiver after her TBI and having most household responsibilities placed onto me. I have, for the most part, always figured it out on my own, and this is the first time I am completely unable to. My husband is all of my support. I started immunotherapy, which is my only chance of survival, I have to get them life-long. I was once active in the gym 5 or 6 days a week, and taking my son to the park to play and wander the world together that same day. I graduated high school at 16 years old with plans to work in the Medical field myself. I have always remained productive and focused on my goals. Then suddenly, my nervous system had had enough, and it began to kill me while worsening, and increasingly dangerous symptoms continued to develop. I am still fighting to stay strong and maintain the daily care this disease requires, always be there for others, and be the best mother I can be, but every day gets harder as my condition worsens and my husband has had to work various side hustles to afford my medications while being my full-time caregiver.  If you are able, please donate any amount or just share with your friends and family! You will save my life, and I will be forever grateful for this opportunity. If you are interested in more information about my condition, I provided resources here: https://www.stiffperson.org/understanding-sps https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/13110/progressive-encephalomyelitis-with-rigidity-and-myoclonus Thank you!