At the encouragement of my close friends and family, I am writing this. I need your help. I need my village.

In June 2024, at the end of a long work week in >115 Las Vegas heat, I went to the hospital with a horrible ocular migraine and stroke symptoms. The right side of my body had gone numb. I was admitted for 4 days and completed more imaging, multiple tests, and a lumbar puncture. My MRI showed multiple brain lesions. The hospital neurologist told me she suspected a demyelinating disease, possibly Multiple Sclerosis (MS). I was to follow up with an outpatient neurologist for further diagnosis. In October, I was seen by an MS specialist and diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. I started my first MS medication in November.

Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the myelin sheath on the nerve fibers of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), causing scars (sclerosis)/lesions. Myelin is the coating around nerve cells, kind of like insulation. This eventually leads to permanent damage of the nerve cells. Some people lose the ability to walk, move, talk, swallow, and experience profound fatigue, pain, neuropathy, numbness, cognitive issues, vision problems, etc.

Over the last 8 months, I have struggled with my health. I have had upper-respiratory infection, influenza B, and norovirus. Along with the diabetes, the MS has made it difficult to stay well. I also started having significant vision issues, for which I’ve seen an ophthalmologist, neuro-ophthalmologist, and retina specialist. I suffered a rare side effect from the MS medication (macular edema). It is still being treated. I can no longer drive at night, and my vision is still impaired.

My Multiple Sclerosis symptoms have continued to get worse. This disease has affected my balance, strength, vision, mobility, and has caused profound fatigue, heat intolerance, numbness, pain, neuropathy, headaches, migraines, and tremors.

My MS specialist suspects I may have Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (continual decline in function vs. relapses/remissions). I have a lesion on my most recent MRI classified as “tumor-like” and I may have Tumefactive Multiple Sclerosis, which is a more aggressive form of MS. I am hopeful about a new medication I am starting in about a couple weeks or so. It is a chemotherapy drug that is supposed to essentially reset my immune system, so it stops attacking my brain.

I am terrified of what is to come and the fight that is ahead of me. Cross your fingers and pray this medication works!!! I am hopeful and am trying to remain as positive as I can. I have never been this sick or needed this much help. I am at a point where I cannot do this alone. I am asking for help paying medical bills (adaptive equipment, insurance premiums, copays, deductibles, medications, physical therapy, etc.), my regular bills (rent, utilities, insurance, etc.), and living expenses like groceries. My medical bills have been outrageous (I currently have at least 10 specialists for everything ... lol). I have been unable to work since end of May of this year. As many of you know, I am a single mother and am the sole-provider of my household. I hope to return to work soon!!

ANY help would be appreciated. Even if you’d like to just send me a “hello” and words of encouragement, I could really use it right now.