Anna has been bravely battling a combination of rare and complex medical conditions, including Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome (SMAS), Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS), Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS).

Due to the severity of her symptoms, she is 100% dependent on a feeding tube for nutrition and a Hickman catheter for hydration. This has completely disrupted her life—she hasn’t been able to attend school or enjoy the activities she loves, and our family has faced a constant search for answers and care.

After two years of struggling to figure out what was going on, we finally connected with specialists and Anna was finally accurately diagnosed with SMAS and MALS, two abdominal compressions - the reason for her inability to eat and drink. At the time, she was quite weak and malnourished nd we struggled to get her adequate nutrition. She’s worked really hard with her medical team and now Anna’s surgeon feels she is stable and strong enough for a major surgery that could change everything! Her surgery for SMAS and MALS is scheduled for early 2026, and if successful, Anna should be able to eat and drink again!!

While insurance covers some costs, we continue to face significant financial burdens and this surgery will include significant out-of-pocket medical bills and the need to travel out of state for the specialized care she requires. Our family will need to stay away from home for about a month while Anna is hospitalized, which adds to the expenses for travel and lodging.

We are reaching out for help to cover these critical costs so Anna can get the care she needs and hopefully return to a more normal life. Any support you can offer means the world to us. Thank you so much for standing with Anna and our family during this challenging time.