Charlotte is fighting for her life — every help matters

Hi, my name is Charlotte, I’m 24 years old and I live in France.

For the past three years, my life has slowly disappeared into a reality I never imagined could exist. I am suffering from very severe ME/CFS, together with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Vasovagal Syncope, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Small Fiber Neuropathy, Visual Snow Syndrome, and Gastroparesis. My body is trapped in a state where even basic functions like breathing or speaking become too much.

I have been completely bedridden for years now, unable to care for myself. My mother became my full-time caregiver. She stopped her entire life to help me survive. She feeds me, helps me move, prepares my medications, takes care of everything I can no longer do on my own. Every day and every night. Even having someone in the room is often too overwhelming for my system. The isolation that comes with this illness is indescribable.

For years, I have experienced severe medical neglect, countless mistakes and misdiagnoses, while my body kept deteriorating in front of me. I watched my weight drop to 45 kg at 175 cm. My heart rhythm became erratic, my blood pressure unstable, my muscles too weak to even hold my head. My vibrant life as a student, my dreams, my freedom, everything was taken from me.

And yet, I’m still here. I still hope. My body may be exhausted, my skin pale, my muscles weak, but I refuse to give up. I have done extensive research and consulted international specialists. There are treatment options that could give me a real chance to improve. But all of them come with costs I simply cannot cover.

This is why I am here, asking for help. Every euro, every message, every share brings me closer to hope. Closer to breathing a little easier again. Closer to maybe sitting up in bed, eating without fear, seeing the outside world again.

How your donation would help me:

Total estimated need: around 20.000 – 25.000 €

I would also love to be able to explore further experimental treatments. They are not guaranteed to work, but they offer hope. Hope that I have not yet lost, even after years of fighting.

It took me a long time to accept that I needed to ask for help. I wish I didn’t have to. No one should ever have to beg for medical care. But here I am. And any support you can give means more than I can put into words. You are not only helping me access treatment, you are helping me hold on to a future.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring.

With all my heart,

Charlotte

I (Tobias) created this fundraiser on Charlotte’s behalf, hoping kind people will give her a chance to access the care she desperately needs.