A Miracle for Heather Kraus
Donation protected
HEATHER’S STORY
Imagine if the person you love most in the world was seriously ill and suffering terribly with multiple chronic conditions the most serious of which is a neuro-immune disorder called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or M.E/C.F.S. This person is my twenty-six-year-old daughter. We have gone through so many doctors, tests, medications, and treatments to try and get Heather better, but she’s only getting worse. We’ve finally found a wonderful local doctor, Dr. Madill, who specializes in Heather’s condition and believes that he can help. Unfortunately, he’s not covered by our insurance so we will have to pay for everything ourselves. Anything that you can give will go directly towards our daughter’s medical care and will be deeply appreciated.
OUR SITUATION
My name is Linda Kraus and my daughter, Heather, has been sick for years. Heather’s condition began as a moderate case, but we knew something was wrong with her health. Heather had all the main symptoms of M.E/C.F.S, but she still lived her life. Her father and I took her to countless doctors and told them what she was experiencing in the hopes of getting a diagnosis and some relief. The doctors ran blood tests which might explain her symptoms, did a sleep apnea test, took x-rays, tried physical therapy, acupuncture, and various medications. However, nothing worked. Meanwhile, Heather kept living her life as though she was healthy, but she continued to get sicker with each passing year until her illness went from moderate to severe, forcing her to put her life on hold and forever changing our lives too.
And yet we still didn’t have answers. Doctors tested for everything that would cause her symptoms, but they all came back negative. They didn’t bring up M.E/C.F.S. as a possible cause until recently because there’s no test for it. The only way to diagnosis it is to rule out every other illness that could explain her symptoms first. So it took years, but we finally had an official diagnosis of M.E/C.F.S. Unfortunately, we then learned that they weren’t able to treat it at Kaiser. To make matters worse, by that time Heather had developed other health conditions as well such as Restless Leg Syndrome and TMJ that are contributing to the severity of her M.E/C.F.S. and making it even harder to manage.
My daughter now suffers from multiple chronic conditions that cause a wide range of symptoms. One of the worst is constant excruciating pain throughout her entire body. There are days where that pain is so bad she can’t eat or sleep at all. Heather is exhausted, both physically and mentally, with an overwhelming sickly fatigue that isn’t improved by rest or sleep. It’s not easy for her to go out, but when she is able to it takes her days to recover. She’s nauseous, headaches, sensitivity to light and noise, brain fog, and dizziness to name just some of the many symptoms she lives with daily. Our daughter is almost completely housebound and often bedridden. If left untreated, M.E/C.F.S could cause Heather to be wheelchair reliant, permanently bedridden, and unable to eat solid foods or even speak.
WHO HEATHER IS
However, before becoming ill, Heather was finishing her first book and pursuing her dream career of being a published writer. She loved spending time with her friends and reading all the books she could get her hands on. She worked out every day and stayed fit. She went on vacations with her father and me to places like Lake Tahoe and spent time outside, enjoying nature. She was learning Japanese and Sign Language and wanted to start learning other languages as well. There was just so much she enjoyed and so much she wanted to do.
In spite of these illnesses, Heather still has a positive attitude, a sense of humor, her desire to be a published writer, her dreams of traveling the world. Heather is a kind gentle soul with a loving heart. Heather smiles and laughs and pushes past her pain to make her father and I laugh and smile too. Our daughter has always had incredible inner-strength, even as a child. No matter what M.E/C.F.S. forces her to endure, Heather won’t give up and she won’t lose hope. Heather is a fighter and she’ll keep going, keep hanging on because she wants to get better, to be able to live her life again, and she believes that she can.
Her father and I believe that too, with all our hearts. We’ll stand by Heather and do anything to get her well again. But we can’t win this fight and save our daughter by ourselves. We need your help.
WHAT IS M.E/C.F.S?
To give you an idea of just how important your help is and the difficulties that we’re up against in trying to get our daughter better, here are some facts about M.E/C.F.S:
·M.E/C.F.S. is a complex, multi-system disease that causes immune, neurological, and autonomic abnormalities.
·People who have M.E/C.F.S. are known as the #MillionMissing because they’re missing from their careers, social lives, families etc. due to the debilitating symptoms of the disease.
·Each year, the National Health Institutes allocates very little money – around $6 million or just $3 per patient – to research and clinical trials for M.E/C.F.S.
·There’s currently no cure and no FDA approved treatments or medications.
·The recovery rate for M.E/C.F.S. is only 5% and as the disease continues to progress, the chance of recovery gets even lower.
·Doctors who specialize in M.E/C.F.S describe it as “hell on earth,” “in the category of serious or life threatening diseases,” and “one of the most disabling diseases that there is.”
·In some cases, M.E/C.F.S. even leads to cardiac failure, brain death, tumors, and liver failure.
Dr. Madill is an M.E/C.F.S. specialist. He’s spent over 40 years researching the disease and helping people who have it get better. He also has experience with and an understanding of Heather’s other conditions which makes him her best hope. So it is possible to treat these conditions, but since there’s no cure or FDA approved treatments, it won’t be easy. It will take time, require Dr. Madill to think outside the box, and trial and error to figure out what helps Heather. Unfortunately, Dr. Madill isn’t covered by our insurance. With how costly uninsured medical care is and with only one source of income, we can’t even begin to pay for all the out-of-pocket expenses involved. This is where you and this amazing community come in.
WITH YOUR HELP, WE’LL BE ABLE TO
·Get started on the process of exploring and finding which treatment(s) helps Heather before the disease progresses any further.
·Afford the ongoing treatment that Heather will need to fully recover from this disease.
·Focus our time and energy on taking care of our daughter instead of worrying about financial problems.
·Raise some much needed awareness about M.E/C.F.S in the hopes that others with this disease are able to be diagnosed quicker, get help sooner with proven treatments, and won’t have to go through what Heather has.
Your help will make it possible for us to afford the medical care our daughter urgently needs and save her from this debilitating disease. Time is of the essence so we need to reach our current $10,000 goal by September 26th. This will allow us to continue affording Heather’s current medications, do the tests that Dr. Madill wants to have done, and then go on to the next step as soon as possible. So we’re humbly yet urgently asking for your help, for you to be part of our daughter’s miracle. No donation is too small or too big; anything that you can give whether its $5, $20, $100 or more will help and be appreciated more than you can imagine. Every dollar raised will go towards Heather’s medical care such as:
· Appointments [Each appointment with Dr. Madill costs almost $200.]
·Tests [The cost of the Polysomnogram Dr. Madill wants to do is up to $4600 and the cost of the brain MRI is $1000 - $5000]
·Medications [Heather’s current medications cost around $1200 total a month.]
It’s unclear exactly how much out-of-pocket expenses we’ll incur on this journey to Heather’s recovery. But I promise to keep you informed and to provide you with details about the total cost and how it breaks down as soon as I know them myself. Also, if necessary, I will adjust our goal to better reflect our needs.
If you’re unable to help financially, please don’t be discouraged. You can help Heather by sharing this campaign and spreading the word to people you know via email and social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. or even face-to-face. You can also help by keeping my daughter in your prayers. We’re eternally grateful for any form of support that you’re able to give.
I will keep you updated on Heather’s progress and on how your donations helped. Thank you in advance for your compassion, love, and support. We are deeply moved by it, incredibly grateful for it, and will never forget it.
With Love, Faith, and Gratitude – The Kraus Family.
A big thank you to the amazing members of our fundraising team: Debra Parun, Mary Ann Moore, Rachel Springle, Sergio Gonzales, Chelsea Smith, Terry Bryan, Laurie Cundall, and Lisa Lei.
#HeatherKraus #MiracleforHeather #MillionMissing #Spoonie #StayingStrong #ME #CFS #Invisibleillness
OTHER WAYS TO DONATE
If you would rather donate through PayPal, you can send it to:[email redacted]. If you're not comfortable giving online and would prefer to donate via check or cash, you can send it to our mailing address:
Heather's Miracle
PO Box 1176
Occidental, CA, 95465
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me through the GoFundMe site or message me on Facebook.
____________________________________________________________
For more information on the #MillionMissing and Heather's condition, check out any of these websites:
. http://www.hfme.org/
. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_29929743/broadbent-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-victims-2-1-million
. http://solvecfs.org/what-is-mecfs/
. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/11960152/You-cant-just-wish-Chronic-Fatigue-Syndrome-away.-Im-the-terrible-proof.html
. http://paloaltoonline.com/news/2015/07/10/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-saps-its-victims-but-new-research-may-find-the-cause
Photos from before the M.E/C.F.S:
Imagine if the person you love most in the world was seriously ill and suffering terribly with multiple chronic conditions the most serious of which is a neuro-immune disorder called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or M.E/C.F.S. This person is my twenty-six-year-old daughter. We have gone through so many doctors, tests, medications, and treatments to try and get Heather better, but she’s only getting worse. We’ve finally found a wonderful local doctor, Dr. Madill, who specializes in Heather’s condition and believes that he can help. Unfortunately, he’s not covered by our insurance so we will have to pay for everything ourselves. Anything that you can give will go directly towards our daughter’s medical care and will be deeply appreciated.
OUR SITUATION
My name is Linda Kraus and my daughter, Heather, has been sick for years. Heather’s condition began as a moderate case, but we knew something was wrong with her health. Heather had all the main symptoms of M.E/C.F.S, but she still lived her life. Her father and I took her to countless doctors and told them what she was experiencing in the hopes of getting a diagnosis and some relief. The doctors ran blood tests which might explain her symptoms, did a sleep apnea test, took x-rays, tried physical therapy, acupuncture, and various medications. However, nothing worked. Meanwhile, Heather kept living her life as though she was healthy, but she continued to get sicker with each passing year until her illness went from moderate to severe, forcing her to put her life on hold and forever changing our lives too.
And yet we still didn’t have answers. Doctors tested for everything that would cause her symptoms, but they all came back negative. They didn’t bring up M.E/C.F.S. as a possible cause until recently because there’s no test for it. The only way to diagnosis it is to rule out every other illness that could explain her symptoms first. So it took years, but we finally had an official diagnosis of M.E/C.F.S. Unfortunately, we then learned that they weren’t able to treat it at Kaiser. To make matters worse, by that time Heather had developed other health conditions as well such as Restless Leg Syndrome and TMJ that are contributing to the severity of her M.E/C.F.S. and making it even harder to manage.
My daughter now suffers from multiple chronic conditions that cause a wide range of symptoms. One of the worst is constant excruciating pain throughout her entire body. There are days where that pain is so bad she can’t eat or sleep at all. Heather is exhausted, both physically and mentally, with an overwhelming sickly fatigue that isn’t improved by rest or sleep. It’s not easy for her to go out, but when she is able to it takes her days to recover. She’s nauseous, headaches, sensitivity to light and noise, brain fog, and dizziness to name just some of the many symptoms she lives with daily. Our daughter is almost completely housebound and often bedridden. If left untreated, M.E/C.F.S could cause Heather to be wheelchair reliant, permanently bedridden, and unable to eat solid foods or even speak.
WHO HEATHER IS
However, before becoming ill, Heather was finishing her first book and pursuing her dream career of being a published writer. She loved spending time with her friends and reading all the books she could get her hands on. She worked out every day and stayed fit. She went on vacations with her father and me to places like Lake Tahoe and spent time outside, enjoying nature. She was learning Japanese and Sign Language and wanted to start learning other languages as well. There was just so much she enjoyed and so much she wanted to do.
In spite of these illnesses, Heather still has a positive attitude, a sense of humor, her desire to be a published writer, her dreams of traveling the world. Heather is a kind gentle soul with a loving heart. Heather smiles and laughs and pushes past her pain to make her father and I laugh and smile too. Our daughter has always had incredible inner-strength, even as a child. No matter what M.E/C.F.S. forces her to endure, Heather won’t give up and she won’t lose hope. Heather is a fighter and she’ll keep going, keep hanging on because she wants to get better, to be able to live her life again, and she believes that she can.
Her father and I believe that too, with all our hearts. We’ll stand by Heather and do anything to get her well again. But we can’t win this fight and save our daughter by ourselves. We need your help.
WHAT IS M.E/C.F.S?
To give you an idea of just how important your help is and the difficulties that we’re up against in trying to get our daughter better, here are some facts about M.E/C.F.S:
·M.E/C.F.S. is a complex, multi-system disease that causes immune, neurological, and autonomic abnormalities.
·People who have M.E/C.F.S. are known as the #MillionMissing because they’re missing from their careers, social lives, families etc. due to the debilitating symptoms of the disease.
·Each year, the National Health Institutes allocates very little money – around $6 million or just $3 per patient – to research and clinical trials for M.E/C.F.S.
·There’s currently no cure and no FDA approved treatments or medications.
·The recovery rate for M.E/C.F.S. is only 5% and as the disease continues to progress, the chance of recovery gets even lower.
·Doctors who specialize in M.E/C.F.S describe it as “hell on earth,” “in the category of serious or life threatening diseases,” and “one of the most disabling diseases that there is.”
·In some cases, M.E/C.F.S. even leads to cardiac failure, brain death, tumors, and liver failure.
Dr. Madill is an M.E/C.F.S. specialist. He’s spent over 40 years researching the disease and helping people who have it get better. He also has experience with and an understanding of Heather’s other conditions which makes him her best hope. So it is possible to treat these conditions, but since there’s no cure or FDA approved treatments, it won’t be easy. It will take time, require Dr. Madill to think outside the box, and trial and error to figure out what helps Heather. Unfortunately, Dr. Madill isn’t covered by our insurance. With how costly uninsured medical care is and with only one source of income, we can’t even begin to pay for all the out-of-pocket expenses involved. This is where you and this amazing community come in.
WITH YOUR HELP, WE’LL BE ABLE TO
·Get started on the process of exploring and finding which treatment(s) helps Heather before the disease progresses any further.
·Afford the ongoing treatment that Heather will need to fully recover from this disease.
·Focus our time and energy on taking care of our daughter instead of worrying about financial problems.
·Raise some much needed awareness about M.E/C.F.S in the hopes that others with this disease are able to be diagnosed quicker, get help sooner with proven treatments, and won’t have to go through what Heather has.
Your help will make it possible for us to afford the medical care our daughter urgently needs and save her from this debilitating disease. Time is of the essence so we need to reach our current $10,000 goal by September 26th. This will allow us to continue affording Heather’s current medications, do the tests that Dr. Madill wants to have done, and then go on to the next step as soon as possible. So we’re humbly yet urgently asking for your help, for you to be part of our daughter’s miracle. No donation is too small or too big; anything that you can give whether its $5, $20, $100 or more will help and be appreciated more than you can imagine. Every dollar raised will go towards Heather’s medical care such as:
· Appointments [Each appointment with Dr. Madill costs almost $200.]
·Tests [The cost of the Polysomnogram Dr. Madill wants to do is up to $4600 and the cost of the brain MRI is $1000 - $5000]
·Medications [Heather’s current medications cost around $1200 total a month.]
It’s unclear exactly how much out-of-pocket expenses we’ll incur on this journey to Heather’s recovery. But I promise to keep you informed and to provide you with details about the total cost and how it breaks down as soon as I know them myself. Also, if necessary, I will adjust our goal to better reflect our needs.
If you’re unable to help financially, please don’t be discouraged. You can help Heather by sharing this campaign and spreading the word to people you know via email and social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. or even face-to-face. You can also help by keeping my daughter in your prayers. We’re eternally grateful for any form of support that you’re able to give.
I will keep you updated on Heather’s progress and on how your donations helped. Thank you in advance for your compassion, love, and support. We are deeply moved by it, incredibly grateful for it, and will never forget it.
With Love, Faith, and Gratitude – The Kraus Family.
A big thank you to the amazing members of our fundraising team: Debra Parun, Mary Ann Moore, Rachel Springle, Sergio Gonzales, Chelsea Smith, Terry Bryan, Laurie Cundall, and Lisa Lei.
#HeatherKraus #MiracleforHeather #MillionMissing #Spoonie #StayingStrong #ME #CFS #Invisibleillness
OTHER WAYS TO DONATE
If you would rather donate through PayPal, you can send it to:[email redacted]. If you're not comfortable giving online and would prefer to donate via check or cash, you can send it to our mailing address:
Heather's Miracle
PO Box 1176
Occidental, CA, 95465
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me through the GoFundMe site or message me on Facebook.
____________________________________________________________
For more information on the #MillionMissing and Heather's condition, check out any of these websites:
. http://www.hfme.org/
. http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_29929743/broadbent-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-victims-2-1-million
. http://solvecfs.org/what-is-mecfs/
. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/11960152/You-cant-just-wish-Chronic-Fatigue-Syndrome-away.-Im-the-terrible-proof.html
. http://paloaltoonline.com/news/2015/07/10/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-saps-its-victims-but-new-research-may-find-the-cause
Photos from before the M.E/C.F.S:
Organizer and beneficiary
Linda Kraus
Organizer
Occidental, CA
Heather Kraus
Beneficiary
