Help Camila Fight for Her Life Against Aggressive MS

Hello, my name is Ginger, and I’ve had the singular honor to watch my dearest friend of twenty-three years devote her life to helping others as a nurse; first in hospice and palliative care as an LVN, and now as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in endocrinology. Camila has always been the one holding patients' hands, listening to their stories, and fighting for patients who had no one else to fight for them. Asking for help is something she rarely does, but now, she is in a desperate fight for her health and life, and her friends and loved ones are asking for your help on her behalf. She is the one who needs help now.

For the last ten years, Camila has endured debilitating flares that her doctors have either dismissed or attributed to her Type 1 Diabetes. Just a few days ago, a test performed at Keck USC revealed her diagnosis: Camila is suffering from advanced Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and it has progressed so severely that she has lost the ability to walk. She is currently paralyzed from her knees down. This disease is now attacking her heart, esophagus, stomach, bladder, and colon, leaving vital parts of her body utterly unable to function. Her doctors are recommending urgent interventions, including multiple surgeries to place stimulators in her body to allow her organs to continue working.

In addition, she urgently needs a non-FDA-approved infusion (Rituximab). This life-saving drug costs approximately $10,000 per infusion. Without this treatment, the MS will continue to destroy the area of her brain controlling movement, speech, and cognition. This is the worst-case scenario for us because it will threaten her independence, her ability to continue her career caring for children, and most importantly, affect her ability to be present for her 15-year-old son and husband of 20 years.

Camila’s care team has recommended advanced treatment at one of the world’s leading MS centers: Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), Johns Hopkins (MD), Brigham, Women’s (Boston, MA), or a specialist facility in Santiago, Chile. These centers offer specialized expertise and options unavailable to us locally. My hope is for her to receive this treatment at one of these institutions. These treatments offer her the best chance to halt the disease’s progression, regain her mobility, and continue practicing as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner — caring for children and families who often travel hours to see her and receive care.

This is my plea for help for my dearest friend in the world. Any contribution you can give will go directly toward:

Camila has dedicated her life to serving others, from holding hospice patients’ hands in their final moments to her current calling caring for children who require specialized endocrinology care. Saving Camila’s life means saving the future of every child and family she will continue to serve as a provider.

We, her family and friends, humbly ask you to donate if you are able. If you’re unable to give financially, please consider sharing this campaign with everyone you know: friends, family, coworkers, your church, or community... every share brings her closer to the care she desperately needs. Please keep Camila Baez-Smith in your prayers and thoughts; your support lifts her spirits and reminds her to continue to fight.

From the bottom of my heart — thank you for your compassion, your prayers, your support, and for helping Camila fight for her life and her ability to keep serving others.

With gratitude,

Ginger M. Millman