Dear Friends and Awesome Strangers,

Today I am reaching out with a heavy heart and a humble request for help. I was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) in 2023, and it has been an incredibly overwhelming journey. Despite my best efforts, the costs of medical treatments and life altering procedures are more than I can manage alone. I'm turning to you, my community, for help. Whether it is a share of my story or a donation for treatments, your support will make an immeasurable difference in my ability to regain the quality of life I used to have, slow the progression of the disease, and potentially reverse some of the damage already done.

Please take a moment to read about my journey and how your kindness can help me continue to fight for my life and well being. Most importantly, thank you. From the bottom of my heart I appreciate your love, support, and generosity.

CRPS is a rare and chronic disease, usually triggered by an injury, which causes pain that is much more severe than the original injury that provoked it. My insulting injury was a major car accident that initially caused a extensive spinal cord damage that eventually led to degenerative disk disease, bulged disks, and arthritis. 8 years after this, I was diagnosed with CRPS. The pain is caused by the nervous system essentially going haywire. It affects the limbs and often progresses to other areas of the body. The affected areas swell and change in color and temperature which leads to motor issues including difficulty moving, stiffness, weakness, and eventually, loss of muscle. It can lead to total loss of function. I have CRPS in all of my limbs and has recently progressed to the left side of my face.

Living with CRPS is like being trapped in a constant storm of pain that is unrelenting. Tasks that most people take for granted like walking, using the bathroom, and even basic conversations, become monumental challenges. The pain can be so intense that it feels as if your body is on fire burning from the inside out. On the effected limbs, the bone pain is excruciating & debilitating, sometimes causing me to unexpectedly pass out. I have tremors that last many hours and am not able to walk when this happens which leads me to be extremely weak and sore after. I often experience vertigo. It also affects my speech at times, not being able to form sentences or follow a conversation due to brain fog. No matter how hard you try, there is often no relief. Emotionally, the cost is just as heavy. Depression, anxiety, stress, and isolation also chaperone the pain, as I try to maintain any sense of normalcy. Not only is the pain difficult, its the unpredictability of it. Sometimes I can manage as I once did, others, I'm completely incapacitated. This has not only been debilitating but also very degrading and shameful. I have had to ask for help with the smallest things- that I should be able to do on my own. This makes having any normal routine incredibly difficult to manage, and as you can imagine a typical job is impossible to keep. CRPS strips away my ability to live the life I once knew and the one I ache so badly to see parts of again.

I have been seen and treated at the Victoria pain clinic for four years. I have had many different procedures, however, the pain and symptoms continued and also increased over time. I am unable to take any of the medications that could help as the side effects are much worse. Anything from being violently sick, to incoherence, as well as suicidal thoughts. An option I'm not willing to pursue is being dependent on opiates to try and mask the pain when there are options that can help with a solution. I was getting lidocaine infusions which seemed promising initially, though they stopped having any effect.

Unfortunately, the other treatments for CRPS in Canada are outside of a time horizon that is attainable due to the rate of progression that I've been experiencing, as well as beyond my financial reach as they are not covered here. I have been fortunate to find a physician in Mexico who is knowledgeable about my condition and has had success treating it previously with stem cells among other procedures. The specialist is confident that this

can provide more than just a "band-aid solution" in order to target what is causing the issue. I am within the ideal time for treatment as I currently still have some function in my limbs, but due to the rate of progression that I'm experiencing, this window is closing. This treatment has the potential to assist me in regaining my quality of life and slow the progression of CRPS. Regrettably there is no cure for CRPS, however, the specialized treatment and therapies offered there provide a hope that my future could have a chance at normalcy and escape the endless cycle of pain.

Your generosity will help give me the opportunity to continue to fight for my health in a way I absolutely would not be able to otherwise and hopefully reclaim some of the life that this disease has taken from me.