Kristin's Fight for Life

Fighting to Reclaim Her Life:

Kristin Osborn's life was upended by a storm of severe, complex illnesses—Late-stage Lyme and Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS)—leaving her mostly bedbound, fighting for her life. Fresh out of college, she was full of energy, dreams, and direction—but life took an unexpected turn and everything she envisioned slipped away. While friends built careers and families, Kristin’s life has been consumed by pain, isolation, and the constant work of survival. This devastating illness has not only robbed her of more than a decade of her life, but it’s taken her independence, her hopes for a future, her dreams, her ability to work and her safety and stability. Through unimaginable loss, she has shown extraordinary strength and perseverance, and somehow she is still hanging on.

The Missing Piece

We’re working to raise $68,588 to purchase a potentially life saving, short-term, medically secure home that could finally offer Kristin a chance at life again.

If you’ve ever been moved by Kristin’s spirit, her kindness, or her voice—if you’ve felt the impact of her presence—or if you are moved by her story, please consider making a gift to give Kristin a chance to rejoin the world with the vibrancy, love, and light she has always shared.

Her story is not over—but she needs your help to turn the page.

Who She Was—and Still Is

Kristin has never done anything ‘just halfway’. She broke barriers playing high school football on an all-boys team as a wide receiver, corner, safety, and kicker—not just starting, but earning the respect of her once skeptical teammates through sheer determination, grit and athleticism. She went on to become the first female football player at Otterbein University and a highly sought-after player in the Women’s Semi-professional football league- landing her on the Cincinnati Sizzle, coached by NFL star Ickey Woods. Ickey once said to Kristin’s mom, “I don’t know what you did, but you raised a heck of a football player.”

Kristin was an accomplished opera singer and pianist graduating with high honors from Otterbein University with a BM in vocal performance. She spent her college evenings dashing between football practices and opera rehearsals –ripping off football pads while doing vocal warm-ups. Her beautiful voice—a gift that once filled rooms with music—has not been heard since she gathered the strength to sing Ave Maria at her grandfather’s burial, honoring his last request.

Kristin poured herself into helping others through both science and the arts. She was pursuing a master’s in vocal pathology, conducting medical research at the UC Barrett Cancer Center, and running a thriving music studio—all at once. She also founded a vibrant acroyoga community, Cincy Acro, creating space for joy, movement, and human connection. Whether it was offering free music lessons to kids in need, rehabilitating stray animals, training troubled dogs, or bringing adventure and comfort to an elderly woman in her final year, Kristin always gave her time and heart freely. Her care for others—human and animal alike—ran deep and wide, and still does.

Her love for life wasn’t limited to service—it spilled into every part of her being. She was constantly moving, constantly connecting. Hiking, playing soccer, rollerblading, doing gymnastics, biking, running, paddleboarding, even skydiving—Kristin approached life with joy, energy, and a wholehearted love for the world around her. She didn’t just participate—she dove in headfirst, always chasing meaning, movement, and connection.

By her side through it all was Levi, her lifeline dog, who stood with her through every storm. His steady presence helped her endure when everything else felt impossible. His recent passing has left a deep, aching void in Kristin’s heart.

The Start of a Relentless Health Battle

Kristin burst out of college with ambition and huge dreams, she couldn’t wait to dip her toes into everything life had to offer. She had just landed a dream opportunity—a role in an opera (Rigoletto) in Lyme, Connecticut, the very town where Lyme disease was first identified.

Shortly after returning to her home in Ohio, she developed what she thought was a bad case of the flu with fever and joint aches. Though she eventually recovered after a few weeks, something had changed.

Her health began an alarming, relentless decline. Bit by bit, Kristin lost the energy and vitality that once defined her. What began as a few strange symptoms became a storm of debilitating conditions: thyroid malfunction, liver disease, insomnia, severe gastrointestinal disorders, heart issues, neurological problems, migraines, joint and muscle pain, skin abnormalities, and crushing exhaustion –and the list kept growing.

The Missed Diagnosis

Kristin began fighting for answers as she watched her life rapidly unravel. She bounced between countless doctors spanning Western, Naturopathic, Functional and Integrative Medicine. She exhausted every option in the quest to heal- undergoing hundreds of tests and following every prescribed treatment and protocol with intense precision. Each specialist she saw added a new “incurable” diagnosis to her ever-growing list, but something didn’t make sense. Why would someone who has always led such a healthy lifestyle be so sick? And why was she continuing to decline at an alarming rate despite years of seeing top specialists from across the U.S. and Canada?

Years into Kristin’s fight, a positive lyme antibody test confirmed what had initially been missed. Often dubbed the "great imitator," lyme disease can mimic a wide range of illnesses, making it notoriously difficult to diagnose. Because Lyme disease was not prevalent in Ohio at that time, it was discovered too late and the window for a simple antibiotic cure had closed. In Kristin’s case, the infection had become deeply embedded in her tissues, resistant to treatment, and triggered a cascade of complications that would become the catalyst for something much bigger.

Trapped in a Toxic Storm

The untreated Lyme infection triggered Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), a devastating illness caused by biotoxin exposure that traps Kristin’s immune system in a constant, destructive loop. Her body misidentifies everyday substances as threats—mold, chemicals, fragrances, many foods—and attacks itself, causing irreversible organ damage. A genetic defect prevents Kristin from eliminating these toxins; instead, they recirculate like poison, worsening the damage with each exposure.

Everyday life for Kristin is like walking through a minefield—each step risks another blow that compounds the damage she’s already fighting to survive. A simple hug, a whiff of air freshener, wind in the wrong direction, a bite of food, or unseen mold can be a bomb that triggers devastating setbacks on top of her already critically fragile health. She must remain on high alert, knowing that even the smallest exposure can threaten her life. Her once expansive world, now a cage.

She spends each day meticulously managing symptoms—avoiding toxins, taking many medications and supplements strategically timed throughout the day, doing various healing therapies, researching new treatments and fighting to hold onto a thread of hope. It’s not just exhausting—it’s all-consuming.

Her case is among the most severe and complex her team of specialists has ever encountered. Doctors explain that no treatments—pharmaceuticals, supplements, or protocols—will be effective unless Kristin is completely removed from all sources of these harmful toxins for a long period, allowing her body the time it needs to reset. Without immediate intervention, her organs will continue to fail, her strength will fade, and time will run out.

The Healing Bubble Kristin Desperately Needs

Kristin has experienced glimmers of improved health in various living spaces, but without full control over her environment—leaking pipes, pesticide spraying, neighbor activity—each place has ultimately made her worse. After more than 75 failed housing attempts, including tents, hotels, rentals, and Airbnbs, she and her family have run out of options. The repeated loss of safety, space, and belongings has taken an immense physical and emotional toll. Kristin urgently needs a safe space that can be controlled as the foundation for her healing. Without it, her body will continue to spiral downwards and no treatment will be successful.

To give her a real chance at recovery, we urgently need to raise $68,588 to purchase a specially equipped, 100% wood-free Safari Condo aluminum camper—as recommended by her team. It provides two essentials: a low-toxin, controllable space and the ability to move and test different regions. After more than thirteen years of instability and unimaginable resilience—including nearly a year living in a tent—this trailer could finally offer Kristin what she’s never had: a safe place to heal.

Asking for Help –Be Part of Her Team

Kristin’s family has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on medical care and safe living attempts over the years, all while facing their own adversities. Still, they continue to shoulder enormous on-going medical bills, treatments, and living costs. Unfortunately, this potentially life-saving purchase of $68,588 on top of ongoing expenses, is beyond their means.

Saying that asking for help isn’t easy for Kristin is an understatement. Fiercely independent, she resisted a GoFundMe for years, even as friends urged her to accept support. Relying on her family for basic needs weighs heavily on her—it’s a daily struggle for someone who has always been strong, capable, and self-reliant. But this time, we aren’t letting her say no. She’s always shown up for others. Now it’s our turn to show up for her.

Words From Her Mom

“It is devastating to watch my daughter suffer. It feels like my very breath is taken away by the horror of it. I stand by helplessly, as every shred of happiness in her life is pulled away. I want to cry out to stop it, but it’s like a dream—my voice is muted, my legs won’t move. I am stuck in this void, feeling numb, desperate for anything that would stop the suffering.”

Fund Details

All donations will go toward purchasing the medically recommended camper. Kristin’s family will manage the funds and the purchase of the medically secure home. Updates and records will be shared to keep donors informed.