Save My Sister - Her Fight For A Cure

Her Story:

My name is Yvette Morales, and I never imagined I'd be here pleading for help just to reclaim basic health and function. For nearly a decade, I’ve been living with an often misunderstood, life-altering condition called Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR) also known as "silent reflux." It’s a form of non-acid reflux that doesn’t always show up on standard tests, and because of that, it’s frequently misdiagnosed or dismissed altogether. But for me, it's been anything but silent.

Since 2016, my symptoms have steadily worsened. I've been diagnosed by several specialists and have undergone multiple laryngoscopies, Endoscopies, Barium Swallow, Manometry & 24PH impedance studies confirming what I already knew in my body: this condition is real, and it’s destroying my quality of life.

What started as severe shortness of breath, burning chest, throat and mouth, postnasal drip and throat clearing have progressed to severe, daily symptoms that include:

● Dyspnea

● Aspiration of the Lungs

● Glossitis 

● Chronic Rhinosinusitis

● Dysphagia

● Dysgeusia

● Esophageal stricture/Cricopharyngeal spasms

● Malnutrition and extreme food sensitivities

This chronic, progressive illness has triggered a cascade of systemic decline including severe weight and muscle wasting (Cachexia), An Aggressive form of Dysautonomia (Dysautonomia is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) that 

disrupts automatic bodily functions, leading to a variety of symptoms 

and health challenges. POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), Post Prandial Hypoglycemia, Orthostatic Hypotension, Autoimmune diseases- Sjogren’s & Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and multiple nutritional deficiencies. Without medical intervention now, my body will continue to fail leading to a life-sustaining feeding tube to stem organ failure from undernourishment and inflammation.

I've been robbed of my career, my home, and ability to care and provide for my daughter, the deepest pain of all. She needs her mother vibrant, capable & involved. Not homebound, immobilized and managing symptoms hour by hour fighting for life.

Why I'm Fundraising

My care team has a treatment option for me. The Stretta Procedure — a minimally invasive treatment designed to strengthen the lower esophageal sphincter correcting reflux symptoms with a high degree of certainty and success.

Unlike the more widely known Nissen Fundoplication, Stretta doesn’t involve physically repositioning or wrapping organs. This alone is high-risk leading to irreversible lifelong side effects like Gastroparesis, inability to vomit, inability to burp, Hypoglycemia and severe digestive complications. Comparatively, Stretta offers a gentler, evidence-based option with promising results and far fewer risks; (but nonetheless there are still risks).

Here’s the challenge: Stretta is not available in my state of Connecticut, as a result my insurance will not cover this. In order to receive this treatment, I’ll need to travel out of state and pay out of pocket for:

● The procedure itself

● Consultations and follow-ups with out-of-network specialists

● Travel and lodging expenses during evaluation and recovery

● Ongoing nutritional and medical support

With all fees considered $8,000–$10,000 covers the procedure and follow up care in its entirety. The risk of losing more weight and muscle mass could disqualify me from a safe procedure. I want to live now. I want to eat without fear. I want to breathe without pain & restriction. I want to be the mother, friend, and human I know I still am beneath the symptoms.

How You Can Help

Any contribution, even the smallest amount, will bring me one step closer to my life restored. Should you not be able to contribute financially today, I ask, with deep gratitude, please share this with friends & family. This is not how I envisioned my life. But with your help, I can reclaim it. Thank you, truly, for reading, caring, and supporting and sharing.

With gratitude,

Nicole Delgado, sister to Yvette Morales