[This is written via AI. I use AI as an assistive technology. ]

I’m one of the 50% of sepsis survivors living with Post-Sepsis Syndrome (PSS)—a delayed, often devastating aftermath that begins 4–8 weeks after the initial infection. If you survive sepsis, PSS is when the damage finally shows up.

Before the sepsis event, I had already suffered two traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and had been diagnosed with "Major Cognitive Decline secondary to Traumatic Brain Injury" by my Neurologist.

Sepsis intensified those existing impairments and introduced new ones. The recovery process has been difficult and remains ongoing.

This is where I am now.

I’ve applied for Social Security Disability and accessible housing, but in Louisiana, that process takes an average of 300 days.

In the meantime, I have rent and bills I am unable to cover.

Thrive—my long-term healing project and intended future home in Belize—has always been part of my end-of-life plan. Right up until the sepsis event, I was actively working on it: researching permaculture, studying climate and migration trends, writing grant proposals, building the website, and designing outreach strategies.

After I was discharged, I learned I had a limited window—about 4 to 8 weeks—of relatively clear thinking before the onset of PSS. I spent that time trying to complete as much as possible before the brain fog, fatigue, and cognitive decline set in.

I didn’t know “end of life” would come so soon—or look like this.

I still want to get to Belize. But unless a miracle happens, I’ll be here—navigating this new reality— for a while. Any support you’re able to offer I would mean a great deal to me.

MORE DETAILS IN CASE YOU'RE CURIOUS...

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

A TBI is caused by an external force—like a blow to the head or something piercing the skull—and can result in a wide range of physical, cognitive, and emotional impairments.

Sepsis

A life-threatening condition where the body’s response to infection turns against itself, causing widespread tissue damage and organ failure. The word sepsis comes from the Greek sepo, meaning “to rot.”

Post-Sepsis Syndrome (PSS)

Many survivors face long-term effects, including memory loss, difficulty concentrating, slower thinking, impaired decision-making, and physical “deconditioning”—the body weakening and withering after prolonged trauma.

While waiting over a year to even see a neurologist, I developed my own rehabilitation plan for TBI recovery—infrared light therapy, Lion's mane mushrooms, Flaxseed oil, electrical nerve stimulation, cognitive exercises and games. There was considerable improvement.

Then in March I underwent a routine procedure, aspirated under sedation, developed pneumonia, which within hours turned into sepsis. Sepsis can lead to inflammation in the brain and can cause the brain blood barrier to be compromised. This leads to the same symptoms of a TBI. However, sepsis exacerbates it if it is pre-existing condition.

The exhaustion and cognitive decline from both TBI and Post-Sepsis Syndrome are deeply debilitating. There are many days I simply remain in bed. Basic physical therapy sessions often require one or two days of recovery. Tasks that used to take minutes now take hours—if they get done at all.

Disability benefits take time, and I have no income in the meantime. Prior to sepsis, I was managing online sales to support myself, but I no longer have the cognitive capacity to coordinate that kind of work. If AI can't do it for me, I can't do it. What was once manageable is now out of reach.

I currently live on a boat and I am here until I can find safe housing for people facing the challenges I now face.

SHORT-TERM NEEDS: RENT, LIVING EXPENSES AND BASIC CARE

Right now I urgently need $7,500 to cover back and forward rent for the next 6 months, transportation expenses to and from medical appointments, while I stabilize and transition to land.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Donate what you can.

And if you can’t give, please share this with someone who might.

Thank you for holding me close.

~Shanda

I use AI due to cognitive changes from multiple TBIs. It’s an accessibility tool. AI helps shape the words when I can’t.

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THRIVE...

Thrive International is the regenerative sanctuary I’ve been creating on 21 acres of rainforest in Belize. It’s not just a dream—it’s a real project. I've already invested years of effort, training, relationships, and personal funds into land stewardship, permaculture, ancestral healing, and sustainability. You can read about it if you click the link above.