Hi I am Brittany (Kannah) and am someone living with multiple neurological conditions brought on after a lumbar spinal fusion resulting in failed back surgery syndrome, moderate obstructive pulmonary disease after Covid, and central/obstructive sleep apnea.  I also have autonomic nervous system dysfunction which causes issues with my breathing. I am fundraising for parts for a portable oxygen concentrator, that was donated to me. I would love to travel back home to visit elderly family in another state, live independently without carrying a heavy oxygen tank on my back, and be able to get more than 2 hours of air supply while out. Having access to oxygen helps keep the strain off my heart and keep me more active.  

There is not much known about what my progression will look like with multiple complex conditions but doctors have prepared us for what could come, based on how my body is doing we must do everything we can to ensure I am comfortable while there is no current procedures to try or more action we can take at this time. 

Oxygen is something everyone needs to live. The conditions I live with are currently impacting my ability to breathe with fatigue and has caused some near-death/emergency ambulance calls for me, causing my spouse severe distress while he was waiting for answers from doctors. It is now at the point I need oxygen with asleep and with exertion. Exertion with my conditions includes standing, walking, bending, exercising, traveling, this that everyone does to get around typically, create dangerous low-oxygen situations where my oxygen has dipped into the mid 70s. The oxygen deprivation has caused me to feel extremely fatigued, more pain, severe brain fog, and has kept me in bed for months, even more so after my brain injury in 2024, which was caused by lack of oxygen.

Through testing we found these issues and the doctor prescribed oxygen to help! Wow what a world of a difference it has made! I feel like I’m not going to die soon. The oxygen is keeping me stable and helping me to get out of bed, enjoy life and be more active out of my wheelchair, with AFOs/crutches while training my service dog prospect Juniper. My legs have gone from purple/blue to flesh tone, my fingernails have color again, my face is no longer pale. My family and doctors can see a massive difference!

This leads me to why I am fundraising for a portable oxygen concentrator! Insurance covered an at home oxygen concentrator which is huge and 5 green oxygen tanks, that only last 2 hours each, and that I have to carry on my back. I had a spinal fusion in 2017 that has resulted in a failed back surgery syndrome, this causes a lot of pain on my spine to carry around an oxygen tank that has to be on my back while I’m out of my wheelchair. Everyone agrees I should have a portable oxygen concentrator, but it is not a qualifying condition with my insurance for one. A portable oxygen concentrator would not only last longer allowing me to have longer outings, but would also give me the freedom to travel and advocate, visit my family and fulfill my bucket wish list with my husband. I am stuck in my home on a machine or I am at the mercy of how long my tanks will last outside of the home.

The portable oxygen concentrator system I have been donated is an INOGEN G5! The total needed is to raise now is $1,300. Please share this story, spread awareness and thank you for reading!

I am fundraising for: 

AC Power Supply (G5) × 1 $178 Column Kit (G5/Rove 6™) * 1 $118 Inogen One G5 Particle Filter × 1 $25 

Output Filter Replacement Kit (Inogen One G4/Inogen One G5) × 1 $24 

Standard Battery (G5/Rove 6) * 2 $814