Help Sarah Fight to Stay in Japan

Help Sarah Fight to Stay in Japan – Against the Debilitating Pain of Fibromyalgia  
 
Summary
        I’ve been visiting with the Pfeil family in Tokyo this week (Dec 10-16) helping out in any way I can and have witnessed firsthand the challenges they are facing. I know that many of you wish you could be here in person, but there is a way you can help. I'm setting up this GoFundMe page to help offset the high costs that Sarah is facing as they pursue a new pathway to restore her health to a level that can keep them in Japan for long-term ministry. Please help them cover the significant out-of-pocket expenses they are facing - specifically for this important 5-month window of Nov 2018-Mar 2019.

Jon & Sarah Will Use the Funds For:
1) Co-pay for expensive prescriptions, plus the full costs of specially compounded medications and supplements - including international shipping. 

2) Taxi rides to her Tokyo doctor - in place of exhausting subway ride + walk (~$50 round-trip.)

3) Ongoing remote consultation expenses with fibromyalgia specialist Dr. Teitelbaum (out-of-network with their insurance).

4) Japanese physical therapy and pain management techniques.

5) Other associated expenses.

Brief History / Background
        I first met the Pfeils back 2014 and have worked with them on annual mission trips to Tokyo since then. During my time with them this week I have seen how hard things are for Sarah and the family compared even to last year.  This sweet family is making the best of their circumstances and though their love for the Lord and each other is abundant, Sarah’s health is definitely taking a toll on them all. The pain from her illness has impacted every aspect of their life as a family and has made it impossible for Sarah to function in the roles she is most passionate about (wife, mother, homeschool teacher, Bible study leader, blessing others through hospitality, etc.) We are setting up this account to help Sarah get the treatment she needs to be able, Lord willing, to get well and be able to return to these roles with renewed passion and energy.

        As many of you know Sarah was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia about two years ago (on top of several  years of struggling with significant pain from endometriosis.) Since this diagnosis the severity of her pain has steadily increased to the point where she is experiencing a pain level of about 8-9 each day. Over the past two years Sarah has seen a number of doctors both in Japan and in the US with varying levels of success – many treatments wound up being dead ends or treated surface symptoms without seeming to get to the root of the issue.

        With Sarah’s pain continuing to increase in spite of all these treatments, Jon & Sarah decided to take a new step and pursue treatment under fibromyalgia specialist Dr. Joseph Teitelbaum - recommended to them by Duke Integrative Medicine.  Dr. T has more than 30 years of experience treating fibromyalgia patients (including clinical studies) and has a track record of successfully tailoring treatment plans for each patient. He has the added benefit of being flexible enough to accommodate remote consultation to Japan (in coordination with Sarah’s local doctor in Tokyo). Sarah is currently following a daily regimen designed by Dr. T that seems to integrate the best of western medicine as well as holistic and alternative approaches. Unfortunately, Dr. T is considered out-of-network by the Pfeil’s insurance, costing them more personally.
 
Daily Realities
        Lately it’s been all Sarah can do to get out of bed to sit with the family. Her pain makes it impossible on most days to cook, do chores, and homeschool the younger kids, which adds a layer of challenges to Jon and the kids. Everyone has to work harder to pitch in and the kids miss having her front and center in their lives. Sarah told me that in recent months she really only ever gets out of the house to go to the doctor for appointments or to go to church on Sundays (though she only feels well enough to make it about once a month). Walking, climbing stairs, and riding the train are extremely painful and tiring which makes it necessary to take taxis anywhere that she has to go.
 
The Cost
        Due to the fact that Sarah’s doctor is out of network with their insurance and most of her supplements are not covered by their insurance they are racking up a lot of expenses, as well as costs of shipping medications, taxi rides, local Japanese therapy and pain management techniques, etc. The amount we are asking for will hopefully get Sarah through the first 5 months of this treatment protocol (Nov 2018 – Mar 2019) at which point they should have a good grasp of how effective the treatment is and what her next steps will be.  
 
How You Can Help
        Jon & Sarah's desire is to continue to live and serve the Lord long-term as missionaries in Tokyo, Japan. Since most of us are not local, we can't encourage them through some of the typical means like: making meals, offering childcare, bringing flowers, etc.  Contributing to Sarah’s medical costs and expenses through this fund is a great way to practically encourage and support them through this time.
        While we all continue to hope and pray for relief for Sarah, we also want to tangibly help them pursue this current fibromyalgia treatment plan under Dr. Teitelbaum.   So please pray, and please give in faith that God will use this to bring healing to Sarah’s body and enable this family to stay where they believe God has put them for the long haul.
 
* Please Note: Donations to this GoFundMe account for their personal medical expenses are not tax-deductible. This account is completely separate from their ministry support donations.