Kelley is the kind of person who never asks for help—even when she desperately needs it. But today, I’m asking on her behalf.

In June 2023, Kelley fell seriously ill with what she thought was COVID. It turned into pneumonia and in July she was hospitalized for the first time and ultimately diagnosed with Interstitial Lung Disease. That winter she continued to deteriorate. She endured countless tests, was placed on oxygen 24/7 and several hospital stays ranging 3-14 days(the 14 day stay she missed her kids entire Christmas break) and one stay even sent her to the ICU. After nearly a year of uncertainty, at the recommendation of her lung specialists at Loyola, Kelley saw a team of specialists in Colorado at National Jewish Health and was finally diagnosed with Antisynthetase syndrome, a very rare (1 in every 100,000 people) autoimmune disease causes ILD, Myositis and several other issues that requires ongoing treatment and monitoring.

Her new medical team at U of C has been aggressively treating her for a year now and she’s been able to have her lung function go from 45% to 76%! A true miracle! But the cost of survival is steep: nearly $15,000 a year just for her own medical care, including insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses.

As if that weren’t enough,her youngest daughter recently tore her ACL and needs surgery. The upfront cost is $4,000, not including the physical therapy she’s already begun, 2-3 times a week for the next several months to get her back to the courts playing tennis for her sophomore year.

Kelley is a single mom of five, with three children currently living at home. She receives no support from the father and works tirelessly to provide for her family—even working through her own hospitalizations.

Kelley has ALWAYS put her children first. Now, she needs our help.

How You Can Make a Difference:

* Donate whatever you can—every dollar helps

* Share this message with your network

* Send words of encouragement to lift Kelley’s spirits

Let’s rally around this incredible woman and help her breathe easier, heal stronger, and get her daughter back on her feet.

Thank you for your kindness and support.