Help Esther Overcome Health Challenges

My name is Rebecca Grimmer and I have set up this GoFundMe on behalf of the Russell Family. All funds collected will go directly to them. We are hopeful for answers and proper care for sweet Esther.

Tick-borne diseases lack research and enough doctors educated in the knowledge to treat the diseases that associate with ticks. Unfortunately, that also means that medical insurance doesn't often (ever) cover the care that Esther needs. Please take the time to read her story below.

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Esther Russell is 14 years old. She loves to crochet and sing. She wins awards in 4-H events and recently was a part of a community theater production of 'The Wizard of Oz.' These are all normal things for a girl to be a part of, but for her they come at a cost.

Since she was nine she has had a number of health issues, starting with migraines, then escalating to joint and muscle pain, dizziness, and allergic reactions to, quite literally, the world around her. She has been to doctor after doctor after doctor with little to no improvement.

In 2022 she was diagnosed with several tick diseases, Lyme and Alpha Gal being two of the most prominent. She worked with an infectious disease doctor for a year, during which she contracted Covid which caused things to get much, much worse.

For a year and a half she has been frequently confined to the couch due to pain. On good days she does amazing things, like 4-H and community theater, but every event that she does takes days to recover. She says she should get an academy award for being a good actor and pretending she is not in pain when she is.

In December of 2023 she went to a specialist in Washington D.C. This doctor came highly recommended and the family saw a glimmer of hope that Esther would be well again. At the end of December 2023 her infectious disease doctor closed unexpectedly. Then, just when we thought she was going to get help from the specialist in Washington D. C., they also closed without warning. She has now gone six months without a doctor to treat tick diseases.

The Lord miraculously opened doors to Sanctuary Functional Medicine, an amazing, Christian functional doctor close to home, and Esther is having to start over again.

The medical care she needs is not covered by insurance. Much of the lab work and supplements are not covered by insurance. She is using a wheelchair to leave the house so that she doesn't fall, which was not covered by insurance. The costs are high and she could use help paying for medical care.

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Esther is a kind, caring, and generous girl and can use all the love and prayers that you can give. Her family is doing everything they can for her to get the care she needs. Any help you can give is appreciated more than you know!