Help Arica get her life back!!

I am Arica's mom. Many of you will remember the time from May to October when Arica underwent multiple surgeries, 11. All of these surgeries were related to her brain in some fashion. What started as a single brain surgery turned into a nightmare which led to 11 surgeries in 4 months in 2005.

Somewhere in the middle of this, Arica started questioning God and why things were happening the way they were. She was a mere eight years old. She spent 49 nights in Detroit Children's Hospital, where our lives were turned completely upside down. We didn't realize the length of time she (or we) would suffer.

Here we are, more than 17 years from the initial surgery. These surgeries began a downward spiral in ways we could never see coming. Not only did Arica suffer physically, but it would be the start of a 17-year battle with her mental health.

At this point, Arica cannot maintain a job and function as a regular part of society. She fights suicidal thoughts daily. The one thing that keeps her here is her sweet daughter, Lilyanna Jean. Recently, Arica has fought nearly a daily battle to save herself. She has lately been able to convince herself that Lily would be better off without her. So, the time is now.

In the last several years, multiple attempts have been made to end her life. One attempt nearly succeeded. She has been hospitalized numerous times to no avail.

Arica is currently unemployed and struggling to make ends meet. She has the support of her family, her boyfriend and her daughter's dad, Nick. I am blessed that she has the help that she does. However, she needs more than emotional support at this point in her life. Arica has conceded that she must now file for disability to survive merely. Disability isn't her dream. She wants to work like an average adult and have an everyday life.

Arica regularly sees a therapist, a psychiatrist, and doctors and takes meds as prescribed. She is actively seeking all the help that has been recommended for her that her insurance will afford her. It's not enough; everyone on her care team knows that it's not enough.

At this point, people feel the best option for Arica is about $4,000. It is not a local treatment, and she will have to go there several times throughout a couple of weeks. All we want for Arica is some semblance of everyday life, and that is all she wants. Likely, this two-week treatment could potentially offer that. It isn't a miracle, and she would have to continue the current forms of therapy. However, it would give her an opportunity for those options to work as they should, as they do for the rest of us.

Please consider helping Arica. She has a precious daughter, a family, a boyfriend, and Lily's dad, who loves and cares about her. I fear for the outcome without this intervention. Please, if there is any chance that you could help her, it would be greatly appreciated. I appreciate any help you can provide.