From Shay: “In 2014 I had a Massive Deep Vein Thrombosis. I went to Mayo Clinic, and it was 6 months before I received a diagnosis. My first diagnosis was a congenital disease called May-Thurner Syndrome which is a complication with my vascular system not being fully developed from birth. Because of this, the valves in my veins do not work properly so return flow of blood from throughout my body and back to the heart wasn’t happening and the blood eventually pooled and the DVT was a life-changing event on my health. My Illiac veins in both sides of my pelvis were pinned shut against my spine so stents had to be placed to keep the veins open and reduce the amount of blood pooling in my lower extremities. There is no cure, so these past 11 years I have had many procedures done to treat symptoms and manage the disease progression. I am on prescription blood thinners for life, which has its own set of problems. I have been under treatment since this all began in 2014. I was also recently diagnosed with Tethered Cord Syndrome and a rare form of Spina Bifida which are congenital birth defects of the Spine.

Throughout this time, I have tried to work and provide for myself. I have been trying to manage my disease while trying to have a normal life. It’s really difficult when your pain level on a scale of 1-10 is about an 8 every day. I’ve felt the pain from these medical conditions my entire life and it has gotten worse the older I’ve gotten. It is a relief to have some answers over this past decade but I have a long road ahead of me.

With over 14 procedures costing hundreds of thousands of dollars and insurance not paying much or sometimes not at all; I have large medical expenses. This does not include physical therapy, pain management and enduring many costly dead ends for treatment since 2014. I am considered to be in the “less than 1%” who have a rare chronic medical condition that requires extensive treatment for me to live and therefore I am denied adequate coverage through insurance for many of the procedures. With these conditions being very rare congenital birth defects, not everything is found right away and only specialized doctors are able to give me the medical care that I need. Things have had a tendency to get worse the older I’ve gotten.

I am once again in a period of my life where I need treatment and cannot work until this next stage of treatment/procedures is done. I have been consulting with my doctor from Mayo who diagnosed my May-Thurner disease in 2014, and a doctor in Colorado who is working closely with him to figure out what to do. I will also be traveling to a Neurosurgeon in Rhode Island for treatment of Tethered Cord Syndrome and Spina Bifida. As of May, my medical expenses for the present charges and upcoming treatment/surgeries will be well in excess of $50,000.

When you have dreams of how your life should be and it doesn’t go as planned, what do you do? I made the decision to turn to God through all of this, and I’ve continually recommitted my life to Christ daily to find strength to continue down this path. Each day I have to trust Him for that day. I can be overwhelmed with the pain and all the medical expense at times, But I know He has a plan for my life, and I want to glorify Him in it.

Thank you for your prayers and if you feel led to help me with my medical expenses, I am beyond grateful and thankful for your care and concern.