If you know me even the tiniest bit, you know how I am when it comes to my health. There's nothing I won't do or try to make sure I am keeping myself in the best health possible. I am currently in my third and final year of school to become a Certified Herbalist with a focus on Nutrition and Dietary Healing. Although I am reaching the end of my program, I am constantly learning the intricacies of the human body and all the different things that can cause us to fall out of balance. I want to spend my lifetime being of service, helping others recover from illness. However, the most humbling reminder for me has been that healers often need healing too.

For the last 3 years I've been going through this vicious cycle where I wake up and out of nowhere I can't swallow food, drink water, speak, or even keep my own saliva down without crying in excruciating pain. The back of my throat begins to swell up in what feels like seconds, my tonsils so inflamed that they are practically touching. Fevers as high as 102ºF, fatigue that keeps me in bed for days on end. This infection has been ruining my physical life but more importantly has done irreversible damage on my mental health. I find that no matter how many visits to the ER, no matter how many cultures and rounds of antibiotics, doctors can't seem to kill the infection.

I've been told countless times that I am just unlucky, and that some people are just more prone to this tonsil infection although they don't know why. I can't begin to tell you how heartbreaking and frustrating it is to hear a professional Otolaryngologist conclude that your debilitating and life threatening infection is due to being "unlucky".

In the last 5 months I've been to the Emergency Room 3 times, all for the same reoccurring infection known as a Peritonsillar abscess. Thankfully each time I leave in far less pain than I came in with. As of right now the only solutions that keep my symptoms under control are steroids, pain killers, IV antibiotics, and my least favorite but most effective intervention. Where the doctor inserts an 18 gauge needle into each of my tonsils repeatedly until they are able to drain out as much of the fluid and infection as possible. It's by far the most barbaric and traumatic thing I have ever experienced, and it's unfortunately become a treatment I rely on at least 2x a year.

I realize now that conventional Western Medicine only has the ability to keep me stable and alive, with the use of prescription medication and medical intervention –but have absolutely no viable treatment options to help me heal from this. As of now my only option is to surgically remove my tonsils, which is merely a bandaid solution. This infection has been living inside of me for years, it's made a home here and it's only getting stronger and stronger the longer it's able to survive. So while removing the organ may keep my tonsils from swelling up, I am deeply afraid of the long term effects that will come from allowing this infection to go untreated.

I am hopeful that this funding will help me gain access to the incredible treatment options that exist in this country, the kind that are only available to those who can afford to pay. There are thousands of doctors in NYC who specialize in a mix of both conventional and natural medicine however they are not covered by the American Health Care System. These doctors are practitioners of naturopathic medicine—a system of primary health care focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of illness using the healing powers of nature.

Naturopathic doctors treat holistically by looking at each patient as a whole person, rather than only focusing on one specific symptom, disease or diagnosis. This means considering all the factors that comprise a person’s overall health, including a combination of genetics, environmental exposures, lifestyle habits, diet, exercise history and social/emotional factors. The ultimate goal of naturopathic care is restoring balance in the body to support its natural healing process.

All donations will be going towards covering:

- Bills from my last 3 hospital visits

-Out of pocket cost and fees to see a Naturopathic Specialist

- Cost of Tonsillectomy Procedure

- Accumulated expenses due to being out of work (Bills, Rent, Groceries)

I think one of the most important parts of my healing journey begins right here with me surrendering and asking the universe and more importantly my incredible community for help. Acknowledging that I cannot be both the patient and the healer. Allowing myself to accept that I am not in perfect health, and taking a moment to just rest and recover instead of worrying about how I'm going to get back to work so I can pay my rent. I am starting to realize that there are people out there who do want to help me, despite the debilitating feeling society instills on us that we have to be able to do it all on our own or else we're weak or failures. Thank you to everyone who's made time to check in on me, for bringing me homemade bone broth and herbal remedies, for allowing me to take space and be less present in your life that way I can be more available in mine. But most of all thank you for your generosity, it means the world.