Urgent help is needed for Elizabeth, who is too embarrassed to ask for help for herself because she has always been so fiercely independent. After spending more than a decade pursuing her life’s passion as a veterinarian saving the lives of countless animals, Elizabeth needs your assistance with her own health. She has been unable to work since the spring of 2023 due to multiple genetic and autoimmune diseases that have left her permanently disabled and in severe pain. Her private disability policy has ended, her savings have been depleted paying medical bills plus expenses that were not covered by insurance, and she has not been approved for SSDI yet, which can take many years.

Elizabeth’s monthly medical costs, including doctors appointments, prescription medications, travel, lab and imaging fees averages between $1000 and $1500. Her two most important specialists that manage her rare diseases do not take insurance and are not in the immediate area, so require out of state travel in between Telehealth visits. Insurance often denies paying for her prescriptions, testing and treatments because there is so little research into some of her diseases. Her condition is declining and her medical care is suffering because she is unable to access proper treatment due to finances and poor insurance coverage. She has already had to cancel multiple specialist appointments this winter due to lack of insurance and finances, and faces cancelling more if she does not get help.

She is also desperately trying to save her beloved farm from being foreclosed and needs help with living expenses until her SSDI is approved. Her monthly mortgage is $1450 and she needs to catch up with back payments. Elizabeth is too debilitated to pack up and move, so losing her home would mean losing everything, including her beloved dogs, sheep, geese and ducks. Her medical alert service dog, who has saved her life several times, has had a rough year as well, suffering from multiple health problems. He has needed to be retired as a result of those health problems and his medications are an additional expense.

Donations needed:

Monthly medical costs: $1000-$1500

Mortgage: $1450

Minimally Invasive Procedure Specialists consultation $275

Travel to RI for spinal surgery consultation $1500-$2000

Medications for retired service dog $200 per month