HELP RARE DISEASE WARRIOR GET HER LIFE BACK

Hi, my name is Cassandra and I’m a 24 years old girl from Ontario, Canada. I suffer from a rare vascular disease called Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome, also known as MALS.

I was diagnosed in early 2023 but have suffered from this horrible disease for the past six years. Due to the lack of awareness surrounding this rare disease, our surgeons in Canada misdiagnosed me for years and as such have left me suffering in agonizing pain that has only gotten worse as the years have gone by.

The past six years have been filled with hospital stays, medical procedures, and many medication trials. A year ago I become sicker than I’ve ever been and I am only getting worse. I was forced to put my life on pause due to this horrible disease. I have been bed-ridden for the past year, struggle with daily tasks, left unable to work, with little to nothing helping the excruciating pain I face on a daily basis.

I have finally found a surgeon willing to do surgery in the US. Unfortunately that means I will have to pay for the surgery out of pocket as our health insurance here in Canada refused to cover the surgery. I will have to stay in the hospital a few days after surgery to recover and once discharged from the hospital I will need to stay in a nearby hotel close to the hospital until I am cleared by my surgeon to travel back home. I will likely be staying in the US for two weeks or more (if complications were to arise).

The total cost for my surgery will be 65,000$ CAD (possibly more) plus the travel fees to get me there, hotel fees, food costs, etc.

I hope that by making this GoFundMe I am able to raise funds to help cover at least half of the cost for my surgery which would greatly help my parents and I. Any help is greatly appreciated and will help me get my life back!

Please make sure to share the link to my GoFundMe