Help Lesley fight stage 4 endometriosis

Please consider supporting my cousin Lesley, who has been battling stage 4 endometriosis for the past six years. Her condition is severe — she has deep infiltrating lesions affecting her lungs, diaphragm, bowel, bladder, appendix, and her only remaining ovary. She's endured a collapsed lung that required partial removal, and lives with daily pain, nausea, bloating, chronic fatigue, and debilitating digestive issues.

The disease has made it impossible for her to work and difficult to manage even the simplest parts of daily life. Lesley is a loving wife and mother to three children — her youngest can’t even remember a time when her mom wasn’t sick.

Endometriosis is a chronic, inflammatory disease where invasive lesions develop on organs and bleed internally, causing severe pain. Over time, they can fuse organs together, cause blockages, and lead to permanent damage.

Over the years, Lesley has tried everything to manage her illness such as hormone and pain meds, specialized diets, and various types of therapies. She’s had countless doctor visits, ER trips, and specialist consults. She even had a surgery to remove her right ovary and burn lesions on her bowel and pelvis, which gave her some temporary relief. Sadly, the relief was short lived and the disease returned more aggressively. That’s because the method used was ablation (burning), which leaves deeper tissue behind.

Excision surgery is the most effective treatment — it removes the disease at its root. Unfortunately, access to excision surgery is extremely limited in Canada, with years-long waitlists. Waiting a few years is not an option since the disease continues to infiltrate her organs and has already begun to cause serious complications. After extensive research, Lesley found and excision specialist abroad who confirmed that the procedure would also require a thoracic and colorectal surgeon to fully treat the disease.

We’re asking for your help to raise money to help pay for a portion of the medical fees.

This surgery could give Lesley her life back — not just for her, but for her family. Every donation, no matter how small, brings her one step closer to healing. If you can’t donate, please consider sharing her story.

Thank you so much for your support.