Fundraiser for Kristin Pierce

My name is Kelsey Pierce and I am writing this to act as an advocate for my mother, Kristin Pierce. My mother was a nurse in this area from 1997 to 2013 when her career came to a premature end. Since then, my father, Kevin Pierce, has turned into Superman to keep our now one income family afloat, working nonstop through the week and on weekends to provide for his family, and still managing to be a support system for his children and wife. The diagnosis that put a halt to my mother’s career was three rare and debilitating diseases (Mast Cell Activation Disorder, POTS, and  Vascular EDS) that not only turned her life upside down, but also her family’s. My mom was a dedicated caretaker, whether it be her patients or her children, Dylan, Gracie, and I. As long as I can remember, no matter where we went, grocery shopping or a ballpark or anything in between, there was at least one current or former patient of hers who would seek her out simply to catch up with her or to tell her how their current situation is, simply because of the personal relationships she made with everyone she met. My mother has a very severe form of these debilitating diseases, and has since succumbed to a lifestyle that only consists of her bed. She is no longer able to do simple self care tasks on her own, as she cannot stand or walk without assistance. Over the course of her journey, she has seen many different specialists, spent extended amounts of time in various hospitals, and undergone many different procedures, those of which include the implementation of a pacemaker at only 43 years of age, and a mediport (a device installed in her chest that allows her to be on IV fluids around the clock). Due to all of my mothers health complications, she has missed many milestones in her children’s lives, graduations, ball games, award ceremonies, etc., as well as not being able to celebrate birthdays and holidays with her family, due to her being bedridden. Not only have these cruel diseases taken a toll on my mother physically, but just as much so mentally. My mother is the most kind and deserving soul that I know, and her doctor’s have decided that the only way they expect her quality of life to improve, is by getting to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. While we are not sure yet as to when she will be able to check into the clinic, it is expected that she will be there for approximately two weeks. That being said, my father will be taking off of work to accompany my mother on this journey, meaning potentially an extended time without work, two plane tickets to and from Minnesota, and food for my dad while he is there. My parents are proud people, and would never ask for help unless absolutely necessary, but that time of necessity has come. If you feel called to do so, please help my mother get the healthcare that she deserves. She is a warrior, and has been fighting on her own for too long. We as a community can now come together and help one of our own get a fair chance.



To understand more about the illnesses Kristin is fighting, click on these links:


https://www.cnn.com/2015/05/01/health/bubble-girl-allergic-to-life-brynn-duncan/index.html



http://standinguptopots.org/livingwithpots/profiles



https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ehlers-danlos-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20362125