My name is Val and I'm creating this GoFundMe for someone who means the absolute world to me.

Back in August, exactly one month before her 24th birthday, Miranda was on vacation in Punta Cana celebrating a friend's bachelorette party when her life took an unexpected turn. Right before she was supposed to fly back home, Miranda suddenly fell ill with what she thought was food poisoning and two days later ended up in the emergency room, in a foreign country. Delirious and gravely ill, Miranda was miles away from home and immediate family.

A few hours after being admitted doctors diagnosed her with Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), a life threatening condition, and later confirmed she is a Type 1 Diabetic. This diagnosis, which is usually diagnosed as a small child, changed her life overnight. She spent a week in the ICU in a what is known as a DKA coma, fighting for her life. After finally being stabilized, she was able to fly back to the US, only to spend another week in the hospital. During this time she experienced facial paralysis, severely impaired vision, and generalized extreme pain and weakness around her body.

Nearly three months later, Miranda is still recovering. She's had to move out of state, away from home, for medical care and support, can't work due to the physical toll of everything, and is now facing a growing number of medical bills and daily expenses that come with managing Type 1 diabetes. To make things even more heartbreaking, her military career, something she's worked incredibly hard for, is uncertain as she focuses on healing and regaining her strength.

This GoFundMe is to help ease some of the financial strain as she continues her recovery. Donations will go towards helping her with:

Anyone who knows Miranda knows she's a force of nature wrapped in a tiny frame. She's everyone's best friend and truly one of the most resilient people I know. There has been countless times she's put others needs before her own: helping with bills, checking in when I was struggling, and always finding a way to help even when she didn't have much herself. Her personality lights up any room she walks into, and her stubborn, hardheaded spirit is what pushes her through even the hardest moments. Watching her fight for her life was absolutely terrifying, for everyone, but she's shown a level of strength and grace that continues to inspire me every single day. I truly mean it when I say, the world is brighter because she's in it.

Your support, no matter the amount, will make a massive difference in helping her get back on her feet. If you can't donate, please consider sharing this fundraiser to help spread her story.

Thank you for reading all of this. Thank you for your kindness, support, and encouragement during this time. We want nothing more than for our girl to make a full recovery and bounce back to a somewhat sense of normalcy as soon as possible.