For those that may not know me, I'm Rachel and I have cirrhosis. I developed cirrhosis secondary to an autoimmune liver disease called Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC), basically inflammation of the bile ducts within the liver. While there is treatment for this disease, there is no cure. I was diagnosed in the Spring of 2020 and while many people live for years with the disease with no significant damage to their liver, I was unlucky enough to have already developed significant liver damage/cirrhosis upon diagnosis. I've been on medication since 2020; however, my liver disease/cirrhosis has continued to worsen. This now means that I will need a liver transplant sometime in the near future.

I am raising money to help offset the medical costs of the surgery as well as help support my blended family while I am recovering and not able to work. Between my husband, Richard, and I, we have 5 kids, ages 16 - 24 and while the adult children should probably be on their own, with the economy the way it is, we still help support all the kids (all 4 of the adult kids live with us while the 16-year-old splits his time between me and his dad). Richard has recently gone back to school to become a machinist/CNC operator but still has a year and a half before he is done. Our hope was that he would be able to finish school and begin working before I needed transplant but that doesn't seem like the way it's going to go.

As hard as it is to ask for help, we are going to need all the help we can get in order to keep our house, support our family, and allow me all the time I need to recover (estimates are that I will need 6 months to a year to fully recover and be able to return to work).

Any help you may be able to provide would be greatly appreciated and used to support our family during what is likely to prove to be a difficult time. I love you all and appreciate all the thoughts, prayers, good vibes, and support you can send me!