Kelsey's Lyme Disease, Endometriosis & IVF Journey

Hi friends, thank you for stopping by this page! Kelsey is quite literally one of the kindest, nicest people that I know. She is always the first to ask about how you are, listen to your problems, be there for you, and jump in and offer any help if you need it. 

Kelsey has been struggling with health issues and searching for answers for over 15 years. She has spent many years seeing hundreds of doctors, having a variety of tests run, and trying multiple medications with no improvements, often experiencing worsened symptoms. After being told she was “fine," that her symtpoms were all in her head and continually experiencing medical gaslighting, things started to turn a corner. As some of you may know, in the past three years, Kelsey has finally started to receive some accurate diagnoses: which means she has begun treatments after all these years (yay!). BUT unfortunately, due to the complicated nature of her diagnoses, treatments and medications are extremely expensive and not only hard to come by, but insurance does not cover at least 90% of them. Her case is also so complex that, unfortunately, there is a lot of trial and error in treatment, worsening symptoms, no timeline/end in sight, and frustration that has taken a toll on her physically and mentally. Each time the doctors think they've figured out everything that's going on, another new diagnosis is added to the mix, creating more complexity.

Kelsey has unfortunately not been able to hold down a Full-Time job for the last several years due to the severity of symptoms and how time-intensive treatments are. While she has done her best to work as often as possible through part-time childcare and Virtual Assistant work, her health doesn't allow the consistency she needs. She has had to decide which treatments she can afford and which she can't due to the out-of-pocket expense and the debt already accrued due to testing and treatments thus far over the past few years.

Please help donate any amount; every single dollar helps Kelsey afford treatment with the goal of reaching remission, as well as managing symptoms that will be lifelong. 

While there are many additional financial impacts, here are a few items for reference of what this looks like for Kelsey: 

Each doctor's appointment ranges from $225 to $900, often with multiple weekly appointments.

Medications, supplements, treatments, etc., cost between $500 and $6,000 per MONTH.

After surgery and treatments from the last year alone, a medical debt balance of nearly $30,000 remains and continues to accrue interest. This doesn't include current or future medical expenses. Kelsey will also undergo some medical procedures at the end of 2022 and into 2023 to hopefully preserve her fertility which is rapidly declining- this is due to both Lyme Disease & co-infections and the rapidly progressing severity of Stage IV endometriosis. While she is incredibly grateful and lucky to have some of this covered by insurance (whereas most other treatments are not), the medications needed range upwards of $5,000-$10,000 PER procedure and are adding up quickly. The hope is to take some of the associated medical expenses, past and present, off Kelsey and Derek's plates to allow them to entirely focus on Kelsey's healing and mental health without the added financial burden weighing so heavily on them.

If you feel inclined to donate here, please select the yellow "Donate Now" Button.

If you would prefer to donate without any associated fees on the recipient's end, you may Venmo Kelsey and Derek- @KelseyNSpooner / Or PayPal @kelseynwood

If you cannot donate, please consider sharing with as many people as possible by using the yellow "Share" button. Your consideration, prayers, and kind thoughts are appreciated!

As her health allows, Kelsey will share updates here in the fundraiser and on her blog once it is up and running. If you want to follow along on her blog, the link is https://kelseyspooner.com/

A Note from Kelsey-

“I have had several friends who have asked me to allow them to create a financial fundraiser to help me with treatment costs, doctor visits, and medication since at least 90% is not covered by insurance. Until now, I have felt uncomfortable accepting their help because I didn’t feel I deserved it. However, after further conversation and encouragement from those asking if they CAN help in this way, a friend is setting something up for me to help with these costs, with the caveat that someday I want to be able to pay it forward to others who are in a similar situation. I appreciate the prayers, good thoughts, and emotional support more than anything- a big thank you to those who have continually done that. Thank you to everyone who has donated or has taken the time to share this fundraiser. It means the absolute world to me and my husband, Derek."