My friend Karen needs help and she won't ask for it though,  so I will.  You never know when life with throw you a curveball, and Karen was recently thrown a big one. 

Unexpectedly and through no fault of her own, Karen recently lost coverage for medication she MUST must have to lead a healthy life free of the debilitating symptoms of her condition.

About Karen and her Situation

Karen has been living with Multiple Sclerosis for over 14 years and as a result of the illness has been medically retired from her corporate career since 2010. A few months ago she received a notification telling her her employer no longer operated in Canada and that as a result, though she'll still receive her monthly pension income, all her health benefits were being terminated. Her medications for MS went from costing $0 to almost $4000/month. This is unaffordable for almost any person.

As a result, Karen has been off her injectable interferon (Rebif) since January. And this month finally admitted to me that she's gone off her other meds too. These include a neuro muscular pain medication (Gabapentin) & others. She simply can't afford it.

Thankfully she may qualify for Ontario's Trillium benefit program which covers up to 80% of her prescription costs. If approved the program doesn't begin until July and after that will still be $800/month!

She has contacted multiple insurance companies, called the pharmaceutical companies that make every med, even contacted her MP- turning over every rock and searching everywhere for a solution. There were none.

We are hoping to raise $10,000.00 to cover one year of her prescriptions (having faith that the rest will be covered through the government program) and we will look for other solutions for the future.

She is terrified.

As a responsible & private person who could never imagine herself in this position, Karen is outgoing and extroverted but private about her personal business. She is shy to let people know about what she is going through. She felt she would be able to manage her MS and her expenses for the rest of her life.

We've been friends for 25+ years. Karen helped me out when I was in a difficult situation and I know she helps many others, having spent the better part of the last few years caring for her Mom, whom she recently lost, and then her father following the death.

Karen is a faithful, caring, giving person and I want to ensure she stays healthy and stays on the medication so vital for her life.

Thank you for helping her maintain her health. And for letting me help my friend.

Some questions you might have... 

What is MS? 

MS is currently classified as an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord). The disease attacks myelin, the protective covering of the nerves, causing inflammation and often damaging the myelin. Myelin is necessary for the transmission of nerve impulses through nerve fibres. If damage to myelin is slight, nerve impulses travel with minor interruptions; however, if damage is substantial and if scar tissue replaces the myelin, nerve impulses may be completely disrupted, and the nerve fibres themselves can be damaged.

MS is unpredictable and can cause symptoms such as extreme fatigue, lack of coordination, weakness, tingling, impaired sensation, vision problems, bladder problems, cognitive impairment and mood changes. Its effects can be physical, emotional and financial.

Source: https://mssociety.ca/about-ms/what-is-ms

How does it impact Karen's life?

Her disease usually affects the left side of her body. She has continuous neuropathic pain in her left side (meaning the pain is not the result of injury but of a broken 'connection' in her brain that tells her leg to ache constantly). She has weakness and tingling in her extremities and has experienced debilitating fatigue, muscle spasms, memory problems, vision loss and cognitive issues.

What will happen if we go over our goal? 

The funds will be put aside to be used for medication in subsequent years.

We need your help to get Karen back on her medication immediately. 

Thank you so much for helping my friend Karen. 
Please donate or consider sharing this campaign to help my friend Karen access the medications she is required to take to live a healthy and productive life.