Help Fund Miley's Journey to Healthy Living

In the summer of 2020, my niece, Miley, started experiencing paralysis episodes mainly on the left side of her body. After many tests and doctors and therapies, in 2022, she was initially diagnosed with Takaysu Arteritis, an autoimmune disease. When the doctors diagnosed Miley, the family was so confused. The only similarities between what she had and Takaysu was that her left carotid artery was partially blocked. With Takaysu, normally, it starts in the heart and spreads, but her heart was perfectly normal. Most people that have Takaysu are sickly and very weak. At the time, she was playing club volleyball, as well as school volleyball, and other than paralysis, she was very healthy, which again made no sense! The doctor’s treatment plan included starting on a high dose of steroids, monthly Remicade infusions at Vanderbilt, and weekly methotrexate.

Over the past two years, Miley has continued the infusion treatments at Vanderbilt, steroids, so many expensive supplements, Ctscans, MRIs, vitamin infusions, and a strict anti inflammatory, organic diet. Michael and Kristen have worked very hard to decrease toxins in their home with detergents, soaps, water, fabric, makeup, etc. and so many other things to try to help Miley's autoimmune disease. It has been a long two years, but they have been finding the joy and making it through.

In May 2024, Miley was diagnosed with Medically Induced Lupus from the monthly Remicade infusions she was doing for the blocked artery and inflammation. The doctors at Vanderbilt have switched the monthly infusion medicine and are hopeful it will reverse itself, but she is struggling with pain around her joints daily. Many days, Miley struggles to bend her hips and knees and getting through the day has been hard. One night in the beginning of June, Michael, Kristen, and Miley were up until 5am with agonizing pains in Miley's hips and shoulders from a Lupus flare. Miley had to take a break from playing volleyball this month and could not join her team at Nationals, because the inflammation with Lupus was too much to endure, and she really can not be on her feet for more than a few hours without extreme pain and swelling. Miley does still struggle with paralysis episodes still. They have decreased in frequency, but they still happen.

Since the Vanderbilt doctors don't know the cause and are just treating the symptoms, the family has to keep trying every path and option. They are so hoping for a cause and solution to Miley's medical anomalies. Miley's dream for years has been to go to college and play volleyball, and they all know they need to find a cure and be more stable health wise for this to happen.

Miley has started to see an Ostheopathic doctor, not covered by insurance. He was originally a normal doctor with a large family practice but wanted to find the root cause of his patients illnesses so he went back to school to get certified as an Ostheopathic doctor. The doctor has Miley doing a lot of tests trying to identify the root cause of her illness and we are progressing in a treatment plan. All of the tests and blood work she did last month came back negative, which is good, but now she needs to start another round of tests, metal detox, and a parasite cleanse. The metal detox alone is $275 each session, and Miley needs to do 12 sessions for 12 weeks to decrease several metals in her body that are high. In May, the medical bills came close to $6k, and June they were right around $3k. July, August, and September will be about the same. The doctors bills are adding up so quickly, and they have a long road ahead of them with this treatment plan. I know Michael and Kristen are feeling so overwhelmed emotionally and financially. I decided to create this after talking to several people that would love to help and decrease some of the financial burden. I know they will appreciate anything big or small.