Dear Loved Ones,

If you are reading this, you and I have likely shared many laughs together before. And I have probably already shared with you a little about my lifelong battle with severe, debilitating health issues, which we now know were brought on by a tick bite at the age of four. For over 20 years, the root cause—Lyme disease and its co-infections—went undiagnosed and untreated.

Despite my family’s best efforts to bring me back to wellness, my health has steadily declined. The journey has involved countless doctors, alternative therapies, surgeries, stem cell treatments, and medical clinic stays, both at home and abroad. But instead of getting better, I collected new and complicated diagnoses, including Chiari malformation, hypermobility, endometriosis, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. As I write this, I continue to experience unrelenting pain and neurological problems.

It has taken me a long time to accept that there is no single "cure" for me. In terms of treatment and supportive therapies, I have been quite unsure of what direction to take. And for that reason, I have hesitated to reach out to you and ask for support.

Now, rather than pursuing curative treatment, I have decided to shift my focus towards supportive and palliative therapies that will help me achieve my highest possible state of wellness. My goal is to manage my symptoms so that I can reclaim my ability to enjoy simple pleasures, like creating a bit of art or strolling through a beautiful garden on a random Sunday, without severe repercussions.

How you can help

Having exhausted my family's resources and with no active income, I am accepting with open arms and a very grateful heart any donations, small or large, to help me stabilize my health so that I may enjoy life with you all for many more years to come. Your support would directly contribute to specific therapies to ease the pain and build up my strength and endurance again.

Thank you, truly, for taking the time to read this and for your unwavering encouragement over the years. 

With love and gratitude,

Ingrid C.