Cara's Regaining Health Fund

Hi, Francene and I have put together this fundraiser for our dear friend Cara who is in crisis and in desperate need of help. She urgently needs financial help with medical expenses, living expenses, and home care so that she can reduce her suffering and regain her health.

 

Cara has several neurological disorders and experiences chronic pain and illness at a level nobody should ever have to endure. She has consulted with countless doctors, underwent extensive medical testing and procedures, and has over 10 medical diagnoses including Fibromyalgia, Endometriosis, Colitis, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) and Lyme Disease. She has always been very committed to her own healing, constantly researching her illnesses, and trying everything she possibly can to get well. It is heartbreaking to see how these illnesses have chipped away at her life for decades making it harder and harder for her to function, to the point of losing her career, being homebound and not being able to work.

 

Cara suffers from a long list of debilitating symptoms and is living alone with no support system. She has severe neuropathic pain throughout her body causing relentless aching throbbing stabbing shooting pains, where her entire body feels on fire, painful tingles and numbness and deep bone pain. This pain along with a compromised immune system, 24/7 flu-like symptoms and crippling fatigue, all severely impact her functioning, and impair her ability to tolerate normal daily activities that most of us take for granted, such as cooking, grocery shopping and cleaning.

 

Cara has particularly severe pain that affects the nerves in the right side of her face into her neck and shoulder blade down through her arm and hand. This pain is easily exacerbated with the use of her arm, making something as simple as replying to a text, opening drawers, holding a glass, or squeezing a lemon unbearable. She has relentless sciatica that rages all night while trying to sleep, as lying down compresses her nerves further exacerbating the pain. As a result, she gets very little sleep. Cara also has constant loud tinnitus, headaches, heart palpitations, crippling anxiety, dizziness and internal shaking, severe nausea, chronic earaches, frequent upper respiratory infections, bowel and bladder dysfunction that results in being in the bathroom for extensive periods of time throughout the day, her back and legs throb all night, and she gets out of bed feeling sick, exhausted and beat up like she’s been run over by a truck.

 

A simple trip to the store wipes Cara out completely, often making her bed ridden/couch bound for days straight each week until she is absolutely forced to do things because she cannot afford to hire help. She is constantly overexerting herself, regularly setting off a domino effect of excruciating pain, weakness and paralyzing fatigue and flu symptoms that will make her body shut down and unable to move. Her doctors have said her immune system is the equivalent to a person with HIV and that it is a miracle she was even out of bed and functioning at all. To make matters worse Cara is recovering from the pandemic bug which intensifies every symptom she is already dealing with. Understandably she often struggles with feelings of profound sadness and even despair.

 

Cara has experienced many hardships and setbacks including being denied disability three times. Despite this horrific situation, Cara remains a bright light and an incredible inspiration, battling hard to get through each day and take care of her health the best she can.

 

We are in awe of Cara’s perseverance and commitment to regain her health and felt compelled to create this GoFundMe and reach out for your support. For too long Cara has been suffering and trying to manage on her own. She has never wanted to be a burden on anybody, but she is out of resources and is finally asking for help. As strong as she is, she is going through a very dark time. She desperately needs the financial relief and daily assistance to give her a chance to rest and heal.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read and share Cara’s story, and for any help you can provide.  No donation is too small, every dollar counts. Your donations will be used towards medical and living expenses, including food, hiring a care provider for grocery shopping, meal preparation, transportation and cleaning. Cara’s goal is to get back on her feet, return to work, and to be able to support herself again. Before becoming severely ill, Cara was often that person helping others and contributing to the community. Cara looks forward to being able to give back when she is well and wants to be a voice for others with chronic illness. From the bottom of Cara’s heart and ours, we thank you for your support. God Bless