Support for Katie Weikert & Family

This is our first time asking anyone to participate in a fundraiser so bear with us.

Before these past few months, most people would have associated me, Katie Weikert, with being a mom to four very energetic and wonderful boys, being Daniel's wife, helping out in children's ministries, or being a special needs teacher. People wouldn't have known that I have had lupus since I was 16 years old. And even when I tell people I have lupus, most people only know it as a vague sort of medical phrase. For the longest time, lupus just meant that I had to take extra medication to have a pretty normal life.

Right now I am facing the longest flare that I have ever had, the worst in 15 years. My lymph nodes had become so swollen from being attacked by the lupus that the doctors thought I had lymphoma cancer. When that came back negative, they did more tests to discover that I have two more chronic and serious diseases: celiac disease, which is also an autoimmune disease, and pancreatic enzyme insufficiency. The inflammation and stress on my body from these caused my lupus to flare leading to the swollen lymph nodes, shortness of breath, joint and muscle pain and acute fatigue. I also developed itchy, painful skin lesions over most of my body that are slowly creeping onto my face and causing my hair to fall out. The scariest symptoms are my brain fog and confusion as well as neuropathy (tingling and numbing in my hands and feet). These can be part of lupus cerebritis, which is when lupus attacks your central nervous system. During my last flare, the cerebritis caused my brain and spinal cord to become inflamed, like a stroke, and I ended up in the hospital for days. Unable to speak, think or stay conscience at first. This could still happen to me this time. Except that this time, it is a little more frightening because I am not responding to the medication. We are desperately trying to find the medicinal cocktail that will work.

We have solid specialists in rheumatology, gastroenterology and others in the Baptist Health system and the Mayo clinic here in Florida. I have changed my diet the last two years to respond to my changing condition. I take all proper supplements to help with my symptoms. I'm currently on a large amount of steroids (that I'm not supposed to take anymore due to side effects) to stem inflammation. I have started infusions of a specialized drug for lupus, which we're hoping can help stabilize things. We will continue trying all our options with the doctor's leading.

I was forced to take two months of disability from work with the support of my doctors and workplace. Due to delays on the insurance's side, we are still waiting to receive any sort of short term disability support, on which we had been depending. We also had to get the house repiped earlier in the year which wiped out our savings. So we've buckled down and gotten rid of the extra expenses, the media subscriptions, the extracurricular activities. Daniel has taken on extra teaching. But we are struggling. I'm trying to keep the financial stress from making my symptoms worse. We are so appreciative of all of the prayers and support that we've been given. The most help we could use right now is continued prayer but also any support toward paying our most basic bills and necessities as well as the amassing medical debt.

Even when we receive the disability support it will only be 60% of my back pay. I'm a teacher and Daniel work's in church ministry. We do not live extravagantly or beyond our means.

This is an unusual time for us. In the past, word would spread through a town or community and help for a family would incur (hopefully!). Now, it's commonplace in the digital era to crowdsource and relationships are had over many miles.

We love you all and just look forward to progress in my recovery and continuing to serve others when we have the chance.