Help Kelly with a Racing Wheelchair and Expenses

Hello my name is Holly! I am fundraising for a racing wheelchair for Kelly Loftis! She is one of the kindest, giving, humorous , and deserving people I know. She has a wonderful doting husband Daniel and has such a beautiful family!

Kelly explained about her medical condition and what she has been struggling with:

Since April 2019, I have been dealing with multiple health issues (starting with severe back pain, increased -complicated - migraines, encephalopathy of unknown origin that resulted in a hospital admission, fatigue, brain fog, speech issues where my brain just stops thinking, problems with memory recall, nerve pain, muscle spasms, tingling, numbness, severe pain in my joints, more hospital admissions, and bone pain) that resulted in me losing feeling in my legs from my knees down by January 2020. I haven’t been able to walk very well and have fallen multiple times. So, I have to use a wheelchair, walker, or cane, depending on the amount of walking that needs to be done. My legs are not the only limbs affected, as nerve issues have progressed to my hands and arms, causing tremors and weakness in my hands as well as muscle spasms in my arms and (occasionally) my neck/face.

A diagnosis has been difficult. My doctors have concluded that I have an autoimmune disorder, but a diagnosis has been difficult as I present atypically for at least the three of the suspected autoimmune disorders (Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, and an inflammatory arthritis-like disorder that probably hasn’t been named yet … yeah, it has come to that ). However, based on my last EMG and nerve conduction study and the second spinal tap, the neurologist at Mayo thinks I may have CIDP (Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy) and he thinks that, based on blood work, It is still suspected that I have another autoimmune disorder causing the CIDP, though we don’t know what that is yet. However, CIDP is an autoimmune disorder and can sometimes occur by itself.

The most effective treatment for CIDP is called IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin, taken from donated plasma). The first dosage of IVIG is 5 days long for several hours a day with subsequent infusions every 3 to 4 weeks (so, about once a month) for several hours a day over 3 days. This treatment will be given (hopefully) at home so that there is less of an inconvenience for Daniel or anyone else who would be driving me to an infusion center. The duration of IVIG infusions is indefinite - most people go into “remission”, but remission is only maintained while on IVIG.

The consensus is that I need to begin treatment for CIDP as soon as possible to stop the progression of nerve damage. Insurance issues have made scheduling treatments difficult however, in speaking with the new infusion company and insurance, I will begin treatment for CIDP soon - it should be scheduled by the end of this week … I hope.

To continue to distract myself (and to give me something to look forward to) I have decided to work on my arm strength (while I still have them) so that I can participate in my favorite race in December using a racing wheelchair. I have been doing some research to find grants that will cover the cost of the racing wheelchair. I had to walk the last race I participated in (in 2019) and it was very discouraging. I enjoyed running and dancing as it was a way to relieve stress - I have lost that ability and I am hoping the racing wheelchair can be my replacement.

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If you can help bless Kelly that would be amazing! Any help at all is very much appreciated! Let's see if we can help her reach the goal of obtaining a racing wheelchair! It would be great to see her back doing something she loves to do! Being active and racing!

Kellys family could also use help for other expenses that have occurred due to her medical illness. Any fundraising over the set goal will go directly to help Kelly and her family with anything they may need at this time. If we fall too short on the goal of obtaining a racing wheelchair the money raised would be a huge help for her and her family for medical expenses.

Thank you ALL!

Holly Frizzell