Hello, my name is Jenn, and I’m reaching out as a mother who never imagined she would be in this position. My daughter, NaShaylah, was recently diagnosed with a rare and aggressive autoimmune disease called Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA)—formerly known as Wegener’s. This life-altering condition causes inflammation of the blood vessels (vasculitis) and can attack vital organs such as the lungs, kidneys, and sinuses.

It often starts with what seem like harmless symptoms—recurring sinus infections, nosebleeds, or facial pain.

That’s exactly how NaShaylah’s symptoms began. For months, we believed she was battling regular sinus infections, but the pain worsened. Her face and nose swelled, and she began to experience extreme fatigue and brain fog—symptoms we later learned were related to GPA. Some days, she was too sick to care for her 6-year-old daughter or even get out of bed.

After countless doctor visits and painful tests—including a nasal biopsy to rule out cancer—we finally got the diagnosis. But by then, GPA had already caused irreversible damage. It had completely eroded her nasal septum and destroyed tissue on both sides of her nose.

As a result, she will require total reconstructive surgery to rebuild her septum and repair as much of the nasal damage as possible.

Unfortunately, GPA doesn’t stop there. If left untreated or diagnosed too late, it spreads quickly to major organs. NaShaylah is now at high risk for kidney involvement—one of the most dangerous complications. Once GPA reaches the kidneys, it can lead to rapid, life-threatening renal failure.

To try to stop the disease from progressing and save her organs, NaShaylah is currently on high-dose steroids and will soon begin immunosuppressive infusions.

Right now, she is still very sick and unable to work. As a single mother, NaShaylah has always been fiercely independent. She’s the kind of person who’s always had five projects going at once—full of drive, energy, and vision. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communications and had been thinking about pursuing a master’s or even law school.

Now, that same vibrant woman is often bedridden, covered in ice packs from facial pain, struggling to breathe, and overwhelmed by panic attacks caused by swelling in her nasal passages. She’s been to the emergency department multiple times due to shortness of breath and snoring sounds in her nose and throat even while awake—signs that GPA may be attacking her lungs.

Her hands shake constantly, and she’s recently started having violent facial spasms. One episode was so severe that her upper and lower jaw locked onto the inside of her cheek and had to be pried apart in the ER.

Watching her struggle—physically, emotionally, and financially—has been heartbreaking.

We are doing everything we can, but the medical bills, specialist visits, and daily living costs are more than we can manage alone.

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️ How You Can Help

I’ve created this GoFundMe to humbly ask for your support. Every dollar will go toward:

Uninsured medical bills and treatments

Reconstructive surgery to rebuild her septum and repair sinus damage

Housing and utility support so she can recover without fear of losing her home

Transportation to and from medical appointments

Daily living expenses while she is unable to work

This journey has been incredibly hard—but we still have hope. NaShaylah is a fighter. With your help, she can focus on healing instead of survival.

Even if you’re unable to donate, please consider sharing this page with others.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart,

Jenn (NaShaylah’s Mom)