Help Kristen Survive Chronic Disease & Disability
Donation protected
Updated May 2025
Help Kristen Fight for Her Life
First, thank you for taking the time to read this. My dear friend Kristen is in a critical place, fighting for her life every single day with a strength that’s hard to describe. She needs your help now more than ever.
Years ago, Kristen was full of life and promise. She had a thriving career, a fiancé, and dreams of starting a family. But all of that was stolen from her by a series of devastating chronic illnesses and diseases. Kristen now battles a complex list of painful, debilitating conditions: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Late-Stage Lyme Disease, Polymyositis, Endometriosis, Severe Fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, Dysautonomia, and Fibroids. These aren’t just names—they are daily, relentless battles she faces in her own body.
Kristen never imagined her life would take this turn. She did everything “right”—prioritized her health, worked hard, planned for the future. But she was dealt a brutal hand. While others around her build careers, families, and lives, Kristen has spent the last decade largely bedridden, enduring unimaginable physical suffering and profound emotional pain.
Her days are filled with 24/7 pain and extreme fatigue. Every movement—even just sitting upright—brings more agony. She often tells me, “My body and brain are broken. I am not safe in my own body.” Her symptoms include cognitive dysfunction, neurological issues, muscle spasms, joint instability, heart problems, migraines, fevers, dizziness, and more. The toll it has taken on her mind, body, and spirit is indescribable.
Kristen has been officially disabled since 2015, and for years, she fought silently. But now she desperately needs financial help. Her long-term disability settlement has run out, and she’s sold nearly everything of value just to survive. She previously worked for a nonprofit that failed to inform her of her eligibility for long-term disability benefits. By the time she found out, the window to file had passed. Despite years of exhausting legal battles, she only received a small portion of what she was owed. Their mistake cost her not just financial support, but years of security and peace of mind. SSDI is helpful, but it’s not enough to support an individual’s basic needs without additional assistance.
Her needs are ongoing—treatments, procedures, medications, tests, mobility aids, supplements, medical cannabis, and basic living expenses. There are no cures for her conditions, and her care is complicated, expensive, and constant. She says, “I’ve become more of a science project than a human being. I’ve lost nearly all of my physical abilities and now live in my bed. But I’m still here, still trying. I need to keep fighting this year, especially as new scary symptoms have emerged. I’m committed to raising awareness about chronic illness and disability, and I pray my story can help others.”
Statistically, people with disabilities require an average of $20,000 more per year than able-bodied individuals just to live. Kristen has managed to cut that number down with serious frugality, but the rising cost of living and gaps in Medicare coverage have left her in an increasingly vulnerable position. She can no longer do the things she once relied on to make a living, but she’s doing her best to keep going.
If you’re able to donate—no matter how small—or share this campaign with your network, it could change Kristen’s life. Truly.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your compassion, your generosity, and for standing beside Kristen during the most difficult time of her life.
With gratitude,
Brad
Before:
Now:
Help Kristen Fight for Her Life
First, thank you for taking the time to read this. My dear friend Kristen is in a critical place, fighting for her life every single day with a strength that’s hard to describe. She needs your help now more than ever.
Years ago, Kristen was full of life and promise. She had a thriving career, a fiancé, and dreams of starting a family. But all of that was stolen from her by a series of devastating chronic illnesses and diseases. Kristen now battles a complex list of painful, debilitating conditions: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Late-Stage Lyme Disease, Polymyositis, Endometriosis, Severe Fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, Dysautonomia, and Fibroids. These aren’t just names—they are daily, relentless battles she faces in her own body.
Kristen never imagined her life would take this turn. She did everything “right”—prioritized her health, worked hard, planned for the future. But she was dealt a brutal hand. While others around her build careers, families, and lives, Kristen has spent the last decade largely bedridden, enduring unimaginable physical suffering and profound emotional pain.
Her days are filled with 24/7 pain and extreme fatigue. Every movement—even just sitting upright—brings more agony. She often tells me, “My body and brain are broken. I am not safe in my own body.” Her symptoms include cognitive dysfunction, neurological issues, muscle spasms, joint instability, heart problems, migraines, fevers, dizziness, and more. The toll it has taken on her mind, body, and spirit is indescribable.
Kristen has been officially disabled since 2015, and for years, she fought silently. But now she desperately needs financial help. Her long-term disability settlement has run out, and she’s sold nearly everything of value just to survive. She previously worked for a nonprofit that failed to inform her of her eligibility for long-term disability benefits. By the time she found out, the window to file had passed. Despite years of exhausting legal battles, she only received a small portion of what she was owed. Their mistake cost her not just financial support, but years of security and peace of mind. SSDI is helpful, but it’s not enough to support an individual’s basic needs without additional assistance.
Her needs are ongoing—treatments, procedures, medications, tests, mobility aids, supplements, medical cannabis, and basic living expenses. There are no cures for her conditions, and her care is complicated, expensive, and constant. She says, “I’ve become more of a science project than a human being. I’ve lost nearly all of my physical abilities and now live in my bed. But I’m still here, still trying. I need to keep fighting this year, especially as new scary symptoms have emerged. I’m committed to raising awareness about chronic illness and disability, and I pray my story can help others.”
Statistically, people with disabilities require an average of $20,000 more per year than able-bodied individuals just to live. Kristen has managed to cut that number down with serious frugality, but the rising cost of living and gaps in Medicare coverage have left her in an increasingly vulnerable position. She can no longer do the things she once relied on to make a living, but she’s doing her best to keep going.
If you’re able to donate—no matter how small—or share this campaign with your network, it could change Kristen’s life. Truly.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your compassion, your generosity, and for standing beside Kristen during the most difficult time of her life.
With gratitude,
Brad
Before:
Now:
Organizer
Kristen Strawbridge
Organizer
Chicago, IL