Hello! My name is Katy. For 39 years I have struggled terribly with my health. I have amassed a good 30 diagnoses, many of them extremely difficult, like Cancer and a paralyzed digestive system. I have finally found a specialist in Washington DC who has sorted through everything and found my brain is inflamed (basal ganglia autoimmune encephalitis.) This brain inflammation continues to decline my body as it damages and shuts down the areas in my brain associated with it. After thousands of dollars in testing, the strep virus has been diagnosed as the root culprit. I was exposed as a young child when my siblings had it regularly. I contracted it, but never showed symptoms. Therefore it was never treated.

To stop this inflammation and allow it to heal, therefore hopefully causing a positive domino effect, I need 2 VERY EXPENSIVE infusions. They are quite intense and use one of the drugs used in chemotherapy. Each infusion is 8 hours long. I have been able to get financial aid for the medicine ($20,000,) but I need help paying for the actual infusions. They are $6,000 each. Totaling $12,000. The Doctor feels I will only need 2, though more can be done for up to a year if needed. We are definitely hoping 2 will do it!

I have debated asking for help but have decided I need to let go of my pride and request help. (Particularly to ease the financial strain and stress my husband is under because I cannot work.) I don’t want to keep living like this. This isn't living. This is Hell. I spend every day curled up on the couch in pain, starvation and fatigue. I've done everything I can think of to help myself and still decline. So I'm asking you, please, help me pay for these infusions. Help me get my life back! Help me see my children grow and thrive! I would be thrilled with enough improvement to just be able to go on walks again with my dog and ride bikes with my daughter!

Thank you will always be inadequate, but I say it anyway! THANK YOU!