Lise’s friends and colleagues know her passion for flying, painting and helping others, as a registered nurse. She’s a loving mother of three kids, whom she raised and provided for on her own since they were little. What isn’t evident to the outside world is that she’s been suffering from a chronic, progressive disease since 2010—which began after a tragic plane crash killed her husband and made her a widow. As her friend and fellow pilot, I’m organizing this GoFundMe initiative to raise money to pay for medical treatment for this disease that's stealing her health and her dreams.

After losing her husband, Lise had a very difficult year of grieving and unimaginable sadness. Slowly she fought her way back by overcoming her fear, getting back into an airplane and learning to fly aerobatics. However, little by little, she started to feel sick with muscle pain, body aches, fatigue and constant insomnia. Lise was eventually diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and IBS. Still, she continued teaching, flying and painting, despite the persistent pain. She even competed in aerobatic contests and went back to school to become a nurse while managing this strange illness on her own.

Then things took another turn for the worse three years ago, while Lise was pursuing her longtime dream of learning to fly a Waco biplane on Martha’s Vineyard. That is when she got Lyme disease. She immediately got sicker, even though she was being treated for Lyme with antibiotics. The summer that started with mastering a very challenging plane that few women fly— and also launching an exciting new career as an ER nurse— turned into a relentless battle with Lyme complications and autoimmune arthritis. She never got better and was forced to leave her ER nurse position. Ever since, she’s been dealing with chronic pain, debilitating fatigue, and permanent, progressive damage to her joints/connective tissues.

Lise has been courageously fighting this illness, undergoing years of testing, potent immunosuppressive medications and alternative therapies— with little to no success. All the while, she has been a single mother, working to support herself and her three children as a nurse. As her symptoms got worse, she had to sell her biplane and downsize to a smaller house. During the pandemic outbreak, she was only able to work from home as a contact tracer due to her weakened immune system.

Lise has seen numerous specialists: neurology, rheumatology, sleep medicine, functional medicine, acupuncture, and dermatology. Lamentably, western medicine alone has not been able to accurately diagnose her complex illness, let alone treat it. Since the Lyme infection, she has been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis (an autoimmune arthritis) and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Pharmaceuticals have offered little reprieve from her symptoms, and multiple trials on six different immunosuppressives haven’t slowed the progression. Her prognosis is disturbing, and the disease is proving difficult to treat.

In 2021 Lise went back to work as a family practice RN, hoping she might be able to handle a less physically demanding nursing position. Because of the pandemic, this meant caring for her suffering patients, even while she was immunosuppressed and sick herself. She faced Covid in the workplace but never gave up on her patients or colleagues. She is altruistic to a fault, which makes her a great nurse, but ultimately exacerbated her condition. Finally, she could not work at all, and after months on medical leave, she recently had to resign again.

This is the point where she realized that she could not do this alone, and when I decided to help her by starting this campaign. She needs medical care that our health care system doesn’t support. Fortunately, after much research, she found a highly reputable practitioner in Calgary, Canada, who is trained in both western and integrative medicines, and specializes in complex illnesses.

Dr. Bruce Hoffman is a board-certified MD, holds a Master’s degree in clinical nutrition, and is a certified functional medicine practitioner. In addition to his clinical training, he has studied with many of the leading mind-body and spiritual healers of our times, and is well versed in Jungian psychology. Hoffman offers a promising dual approach, using the latest technology in western medicine combined with the best elements of all the healing arts. Lise will travel to Calgary several times in the upcoming months to undergo extensive diagnostics and subsequent medical treatments at the Hoffman Centre.

Unfortunately, health insurance covers none of the cost of what will likely be a year-long treatment. Paying for all this out of pocket is exorbitantly expensive, and since she is unable to work, she has no income. I have witnessed her health crisis and the toll it takes on her day in and day out. It’s an act of sheer resilience to deal with this month after month, year after year. Complex illnesses like hers demand extensive testing to determine the proper treatment, and some of the most important tests are the most expensive and difficult to obtain.

Lise is a tenacious worker. This is evident in her accomplishments as a competition aerobatic pilot, an internationally known artist and a dedicated healer. Above all, she is a remarkable woman who most values the love and support of her family and friends. Her passion for aviation, art and caring for others are the virtues by which she gives back. This fuels her determination to get well and supports her unwavering goal to return to the skies, her studio and her career. Despite her declining health and physical limitations, she continues to create beautiful, intricate paintings that bring a sense of joy and celebration of life. If you don’t know Lise that well, you can learn more about her artwork and her flying by visiting her website at: https://www.liselemeland.com/

With hope and prayer, I ask that you support this friend and spread the word to help her heal and get her wings back. All funds raised will be used to pay directly for medical bills, treatment and travel expenses to the Hoffman Centre in Calgary. Your help through this GoFundMe initiative will mean the world to her.

Thank You.