​Hi, my name is Krystal. I am a wife and a mom of two wonderful kids.

​On July 24, 2024, I went to the emergency room because I was feeling very ill. After running labs, it turned out I had E. coli O157 and Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. I was in kidney and liver failure, and I had suffered three mini-heart attacks. I was immediately transferred to Tampa General, where I had my first round of dialysis on July 27th. During my stay, I also had a kidney biopsy that resulted in internal bleeding, requiring emergency surgery to stop the hemorrhage. I spent the next month in the hospital receiving dialysis three days a week. Although I was discharged on August 19th, I had trouble getting placed in a dialysis center and had to return to Tampa General for another week.

​I spent the next ten months going to dialysis three days a week—four hours each time—and traveling to Tampa for weekly infusions. In May 2025, my dialysis catheter was finally removed. My infusions are now every two months, but they cost over $300,000 each, and I will need them for the rest of my life.

​Due to the frequency of my appointments and the severity of my illness, I am unable to maintain a job. The medical bills from the past year and a half continue to pile up. Additionally, I take nine different medications twice daily, which cost about $450 per month. While I have health insurance, the premiums are $600 a month with a $7,500 deductible, and it only covers a portion of my expenses.

​On April 29, 2026, I will have a heart catheter placed, and I will eventually need a kidney transplant. Please help if you are able and please share my story. Thank you all so much, and God bless