Hi everyone,

My name is Jennifer, and for the past 18 months I have been fighting a serious, progressive illness that has taken away almost everything I once took for granted: my career, my independence, and the vibrant life so many of you knew me to live.

Many of you knew me as someone who went everywhere and did everything — hiking across the Golden Gate into the Marin Headlands, Sunday brunches, organizing neighborhood happy hours, serving on the Membership Committee of the San Francisco League of Women Voters, leading voter education seminars, volunteering, showing up for my community. I also had what I can only describe as my dream job: a Government Affairs role in energy and climate policy, work I loved deeply and took enormous pride in.

That life is entirely on hold now.

I am living with chronic Bartonellosis, a severe bacterial infection caused by Bartonella. This pathogen infiltrates the nervous system, blood vessels, and immune system, triggering cascading, whole-body illness. Alongside it, I carry diagnoses of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and serious neurological and autoimmune complications. I became critically ill in early 2025, and have been unable to work since then.

I'm sharing this because I've reached a point where I simply cannot manage my recovery on my own.

What My Life Looks Like Now

I lie down almost all day, every day because my body demands it. I cannot stand for more than one to two minutes without becoming exhausted. Walking to my corner store and back (about a block and a half) requires up to three hours of recovery afterward. My POTS causes my heart rate to spike and dizziness to set in the moment I stand upright, making any sustained sitting or standing posture impossible to maintain. I am essentially homebound. I rely on delivery services for necessities and friends and family help with grocery shopping.

Cognitively, I struggle with working memory, concentration, and processing information. Doing more than one basic thing at once (such as eating, drinking, and holding a conversation) can be genuinely overwhelming. After a one-hour medical appointment where I was simply talking, I needed to lie down for the rest of the day. Writing my own GoFundMe page took weeks and required help from others just to make it coherent.

Even basic hygiene has become a challenge. I shower two or three times a week where I once showered daily. Washing my hair happens once a week at most. Getting dressed means staying in sweats as putting on regular clothes is often simply beyond what my body allows.

The core of what I'm dealing with is called post-exertional malaise (PEM). It means that any physical, cognitive, or emotional effort, even minimal, causes a profound worsening of every symptom that can last for hours to days. This is not tiredness. It is a crash that forces me to stop whatever I'm doing and lie down. There is no "pushing through."

Why I’m Asking for Help

Treating chronic Bartonellosis and its related complications is intensive, specialized, and extraordinarily expensive. Insurance covers very little of what is required as most of these protocols are considered “specialized” or integrative and are excluded from standard coverage.

My medical expenses have exceeded $100,000 and include:

My treatment team is actively working to address the underlying bacterial infection and its downstream effects. I have shown some gradual improvement over the past several months, and my doctors believe continued, uninterrupted treatment gives me the best chance at meaningful recovery. Stopping treatment is not an option if I want to get better and return to work, and I am fighting every day to get my life back.

How Your Support Helps

Every dollar raised goes directly toward:

If you are unable to donate, sharing this page is genuinely one of the most helpful things you can do. Every share reaches someone who may be able to donate or not yet know my story.

Thank you for reading, for your compassion, for every donation and every share. You have no idea how much it means.

With deep gratitude and love,

Jennifer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Bartonellosis? Bartonellosis is an infection caused by Bartonella bacteria. Bartonella is a stealthy intracellular bacterium that hides inside the body's own cells including red blood cells, immune cells, and the cells lining blood vessels making it difficult to detect and treat. Antibiotics have difficulty reaching it and the immune system struggles to detect it.

While most people associate Bartonella with mild "Cat Scratch Disease," chronic Bartonellosis is a serious systemic infection that can affect virtually every organ system, with particular damage to the nervous system. Treatment requires continuous, multi-layered protocols and can take years.

Why is Bartonellosis so hard to treat? Treatment is prolonged, complex, and expensive. Because the bacteria forms biofilms (protective colonies that are highly resistant to standard antibiotics), treatment requires layered protocols: multiple rounds of antibiotics (including IV antibiotics), biofilm-disrupting agents, antiviral support, mast cell stabilization, immune support, and careful detoxification. My treatment team has also identified autoimmune complications requiring additional intervention, including a treatment called IVIg that is currently pending. There is no “quick fix.”

What are the symptoms of chronic Bartonellosis? Chronic Bartonellosis can cause:

Why is treatment so expensive if you have insurance? The treatments required for chronic Bartonellosis and related complications including IV antibiotics, biofilm disruption protocols, immune support therapies, and integrative care, are considered specialized and are only partially covered or not covered at all by insurance. Out-of-pocket costs accumulate very quickly, and the illness requires ongoing, uninterrupted care to prevent relapse.

What is ME/CFS? Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a serious, chronic illness recognized by the CDC, NIH, and the National Academy of Medicine. It is not "just being tired." Its hallmark feature is post-exertional malaise, meaning a profound worsening of all symptoms after even minimal effort. In my case, ME/CFS has developed alongside the Bartonellosis, compounding the severity of my illness.

How much has this cost so far? My medical expenses have exceeded $100,000 to date, including IV treatments, physician visits, lymphatic therapy, antiviral and anti-infective medications, and required supplements.

Are you currently able to work? No. My doctors have formally documented that I am medically unable to work at this time. Even a reduced or modified schedule is contraindicated, because any sustained activity triggers worsening that can last for days or longer. I am currently on medical leave and away from work.

What will donations be used for? Funds will go toward ongoing medical treatment, IV therapy, prescriptions and required supplements, and paying down existing medical debt.

Do you have documentation of your illness and expenses? Yes. I have detailed medical documentation from my care team, formal disability filings, and receipts for all treatment and expenses. I am happy to provide verification privately if ever needed.

How else can people help if they can't donate? Sharing this page is one of the most valuable things you can do. A kind message also means more than you know.