To whoever is reading this and wondering what my story is… why is it that I need a village surrounding me and helping me keep on going, here’s my story. Shortened a bit because it’s long. I figure skated competitively- but for fun. I’d bet anything on saying the rink I skated at is full of some of the best people one could ever meet. There was a day in September of honestly I don’t know the year. I’d have to ask my mom or skating coach. I remember the exact day. I was at the rink and passed a test doing specific moves on the ice which I had been working on for some time. I was so excited, but I got this headache like I’d never gotten before. My coach took me home instead of going out to celebrate with another skater who passed the same test as me. The intense headache wouldn’t go away and I soon began vomiting anytime I ate or drank. I tried to continue on like normal but eventually it wasn’t possible and I ended up in the ER. First trip to the ER they ran some tests, gave me fluids and sent me on my way. Things did seem a little better for a short time except when I got a virus the following march, it lead to my first admission where drs tried to figure out what was going on. Why it was so painful for me to eat and at that point, my mobility was affected as well. I spent a week in CHOP before going home with little answers. Less than a week later, I was back. Admitted again. This was my first extended stay. My muscles were so weak I couldn’t walk. My arms and hands made it hard to do ordinary things. Things I loved to do, like arts and crafts or writing in my journal. The hospital did labs and an MRI of my brain and spine and decided not to do the spinal tap that was scheduled. I was already under anesthesia and if they had done that test at that time it would have given us so many answers. Anyways, I spent over a month in the pediatric physical rehab there. They acted like it was a mind and body disconnect. All I really cared about was getting back to walking and eating normally. At this point I didn’t have a feeding tube yet. Leaving the rehab there, I was walking but weak. And my gait wasn’t normal at all. I also had a severe contracture in my right ankle and a smaller contracture in my left. Both were pushed aside because they didn’t feel that they were real. Fast forward since this would take forever going through every part, after more testing and some hospitalizations, it was found out that I had something called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome which I usually explain to people is what most peoples bodies do without thinking about, people with POTS have a hard time doing. It affects the whole body and there’s no cure. Symptom management is where we’re at. So this diagnosis explained a lot. Like why my stomach didn’t squeeze properly and empty at a normal rate (something called gastroparesis). Eventually I became feeding tube dependent and wheelchair bound. Still searching for more answers and years of more testing and finally finding the right neurologist, I was diagnosed with something called Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) and I finally got on the right treatment of IVIG infusions starting weekly as well as continuing PT at Magee Rehab in Philadelphia. I think it was about a year and a half to two years to get me walking normally again. I worked so hard through every day- good or bad. I was able to skate again but had to relearn everything. I honestly picked things up very quickly! But my muscles still had to strengthen so even if I knew how to do something, I had to work on gaining that muscle strength to do it. I also ended up getting a receptionist job there too. It was a really good time in my life! But there did come a day where I was doing so well, I decided it was time for me to venture out into the wild and get a job working in the field I wanted to get a degree in. And so, I started applying to different places in the medical field and I was hired at Robert Wood Johnson Hamilton as a patient sitter. I swear to you, this job will forever hold the most special place in my heart. I LOVED working there. The people I worked with. The patients I sat with (usually) haha During all this time I had a feeding tube and central line giving me all my nutrition and hydration for 12 hours overnight and then I was able to be disconnected during the day. My line was also used for any reason I needed IV access. In july 2022, I started getting recurrent low grade fevers that would come and go. My infectious disease doctor decided we should get blood cultures to make sure there was no bacteria in my blood… there was. I got the call at work that I needed to go to the ER immediately, and so after calming me down a bit, the nursing supervisor wheeled me down to a room in the ER. What was supposed to be a few day stay turned into a six week stay. I ended up with the same infection coming right back four days after antibiotics ended and through all this, my GI system was causing problems. I couldn’t tolerate tube feedings so I was put on IV nutrition called TPN through my central line. Just three weeks of being home and another nasty blood infection hit. I went septic and this time we raced to Penn Medicine where all my doctors are located. I have quite a few specialties that I see. From that day, I spent 2 weeks in acute care and then three weeks in acute rehab followed by one night at a subacute care facility (worst night of me entire life) and then got sent to the nearest ER when I had an emergency happen the following morning (I thank god when he knew a way to get me out of there!) So I actually spent over two weeks at that hospital and then I finally got to go home! For two days… This time, I ended up with MRSA in my blood. It was bad. Scary. Unimaginable if you’ve never lived through it. But I fought it and beat it. One day at a time and the most amazing doctors! That was the absolute hardest admission I think I’ve ever had. When I think about it, it still causes a lot of agitation, fear, anger, sadness, and just a little bit of hope. I came home mid December and have been home since. They removed my central line so at this time I am trying to get in as much tube feeding as I can. It’s hard. I hurt everywhere from neuropathy and whatever else. I’m very weak and bed/wheelchair bound for the most part, although working with PT and OT on strengthening my muscles as my body allows. It’s a lot of work and it’s honestly This GoFundMe was created back in the beginning of this downhill fight that’s been since July 23, 2022. It was supposed to be a very short thing to help me stay on my feet while going through something so difficult and not being able to work. I think it’s clear that I’ve lost my job because of all of this and my illness making it just not safe for me to be working in a hospital. My supervisor honestly cares about me as a person and doesn’t want to risk my health for a job. So right now, this GoFundMe is continuing and any donations are so much appreciated! If you can’t donate, please consider sharing so someone else might. Above all, prayers are of the most importance. We have a good God and he’s healed me not quite fully, but quite a bit once before and we believe he can do it again. So many miracles have been shown through my life. Will you help show the word miracles still exist and help me in any way possible? I’m usually the person doing the giving but I have had to put my pride aside and ask for help because financially I am drowning and without the ability to work and still waiting to hear from disability and SSI, there’s not much more I can do. Whether or not you can or decide to help me, I thank you so much and hope your life is filled with good health and blessings each day