Help Odalys Fight PsA and Get Back to Her Bass

Dear Friends,

Since I was a very young child, my passion for music was my drive and dream. Through many trials and sacrifices, I was able to study for years to become what I always dreamt of - a professional musician. I was fortunate enough to make music my lifetime career, which took me to many parts of the world playing bass in various salsa and rock bands. I later discovered my passion for teaching music and understood that when you do what you love life is amazing! I planned to play music until retirement and felt that I had many years to come. However, life has turned a curveball my way.

You may have heard that, for a while, I have felt limitations with what doctors thought was tendonitis on my elbow. Playing bass full-time was becoming very challenging and painful for me and doctors recommended I stop playing to prevent the worsening of my condition. I have visited many specialists and have endured many tests to find no relief. In fact, the pain and limitations have become worse - spreading to other parts of my body. I finally found a specialist who diagnosed me with PsA, or Psoriatic Arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic, debilitating, inflammatory disease of the joints where tendons and ligaments connect to bone. PsA is an autoimmune disease with no cure, but there is a treatment available to help stop the disease progression, lessen pain, protect joints and preserve range of motion. My rheumatologist has recommended an aggressive injectable treatment that is very costly and my insurance will not fully pay. Besides the weekly injections which come with a $1,350 monthly copay, I will have many other copays for medical exams, multiple sessions of physical therapy and other medical expenses.

My career as a professional musician has temporarily come to a stop but I have faith that I will come back with more passion (and less pain) than ever. My biggest desire is to get the proper treatment that I need so that, eventually, I can get back into my career of playing music.

The effects of this illness are devastating to me and my family. Having to give up on my career and dealing with this daily pain has caused major depression. Now, by having an accurate diagnosis and hopes of controlling this disease, I am starting to believe that I can have my career again and live a normal life.

However, I come here to humbly ask for your help. Without being able to work as I once did as a professional musician, which has always been considered self-employment, I don't have benefits or savings to cover this treatment. Any donation you make will help ease the burden of these new medical expenses for at least 5 months, at which point we can determine if this treatment is effective enough to keep this condition controlled and allow me to get back to work. My goal is to raise enough money to pay for the treatment until I can get back on my feet and be able to work without pain.

Please consider making a donation for my medical expenses - whether big or small. All donations will help get me closer to my goal of $6,000, which will cover treatment for 5 months. I appreciate you taking the time to read my story and trying to understand my situation. Everyone reading this knows me personally and knows what music means to me. My health is of utmost importance so that I can get back to my career. If you can share this with others, that would help me, too.

Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Odalys Cuesta