My Boyfriend is Out of Work Due to A Health Crisis

Schenley Sullivan is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Stephen Cramer.

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Hi, my name is Schenley. And I'm fundraising for daily living expenses for my 34 year old boyfriend, Stephen, who has been out of work for about 4 months, and suffering for about 6 months with Cutaneous Polyarteritis Nodosa.

Cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa is a rare form of vasculitis relating to small-to-medium-sized arteries. PAN (polyarteritis nodosa) is an autoimmune disease. Your immune system mistakes your blood vessels for a virus or other foreign invader and attacks them. When left untreated, the 5-year survival rate of PAN is 13%. Nearly half of patients die within the first 3 months of onset. Corticosteroid treatment improves the 5-year survival rate to 50-60%. When the steroid is combined with other immunosuppressants, the 5-year survival rate may increase to greater than 80%.

His PayPal link is included at the bottom of this story.

[CURRENT IMAGES (AS OF 03/14/22) OF HIS LEGS BELOW]

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Stephen started having big, red and purple spots pop up on his legs about 6 months ago. We got concerned, and started trying to find him an in-network dermatologist who was within his area, accepting new patients, and had available appointments within the near future for him. But we found it to be extremely difficult. And while we frantically tried to find him an appointment, his legs progressively got worse and began to burn, sting, ooze, and swell. At times, it's been extremely painful for him. He visited multiple emergency rooms and each one told him they didn't know what was happening to him and he urgently needed to see a specialist. He was also in need of a PCP. We finally landed him appointments, and he was first seen by a dermatologist and a PCP regarding this on 01/12/22.

(This next picture is from December 2021)

On 01/12/22, the dermatologist performed a punch biopsy on Stephen's leg roughly the size of a dime, and then stitched him up. The results were inconclusive as to what the cause of it is. So the dermatologist decided to perform a second biopsy, this time about the size of a quarter. The dermatologist's diagnosis is Cutaneous Polyarteritis Nodosa, and Stephen will be on an immunosuppressant soon, called Cellcept.

It's expected that he will suffer from this lifelong. Every few months he will have to get a blood test done to make sure this condition hasn't become systemic for him, meaning spreading to his organs.

And he continues to have no income at this time.

When this started, every day when his ankles weren't too swollen to wear shoes, he went to work. But now, he's been on an unpaid leave of absense from work.

He's been struggling to pay rent ($500), afford food, afford phone service, and other bills such as credit card payments as well. The year 2021 was not kind to him, as he also needed to junk his car due to the transmission failing so he doesn't have his own transportation at this time either.

He struggles with mental illness, so he's severely depressed. I'm trying my hardest to help him as his girlfriend, but I myself have been in and out of the hospital recently.

He's had a very hard life, and 2021 was awful to this man, the love of my life. Please help me help him by taking some of the financial burden off of him so he can focus on feeling better. Thank you so much in advance. Anything you can give would help, and he really needs his faith in humanity restored. Every donation helps to lighten up his days a little, as he's been very stuck in his head about everything that's been happening to him.

This is his PayPal, if you'd rather donate to him that way:

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