Hi, I’m Michal Spiegelman, and I’m writing this on behalf of my husband, Shmuel.

The past few months have turned our lives upside down.

My husband, Shmuel, has always been my partner in every sense—both in life and in the heart-centered business we built together. Watching him go from strong, active, and full of life to completely debilitated by pain and weakness has been one of the hardest, most uncertain experiences we’ve ever faced.

One day, he was out on his mountain bike—doing what he loves most. A few weeks later, he could barely get out of bed. His body was overtaken by joint pain, extreme fatigue, and unexplained symptoms that seemed to grow by the day.

We’ve gone from running a business together to navigating emergency rooms, specialist visits, and medical testing—searching for answers while living with constant anxiety, financial strain, and emotional exhaustion. Every day brings new uncertainty.

This isn’t the kind of story you ever expect to share publicly. But we’ve reached the point where we can’t do it alone—and we’re humbly asking for help.

Shmuel and I are small business owners. Together, we run a heart-centered business that supports others through life transitions and personal growth. I’m a social worker by background and now work as a life coach, spiritual mentor, and teacher—offering one-on-one sessions, classes, and workshops.

Shmuel works full-time with me behind the scenes. While I coach and teach, he’s the one who makes it all possible behind the scenes—handling everything from logistics and marketing to operations and tech. He is the quiet engine that keeps it running.

After several doctor visits, the initial diagnosis was psoriatic arthritis—a chronic autoimmune condition that causes joint inflammation. At the time, we felt some relief. We thought we had found the cause and could finally begin treatment.

But as new and unexplained symptoms continued to emerge—fever, extreme fatigue, weight loss, rashes, digestive issues—it became clear that the joint pain was only part of a larger, unresolved medical picture.

Months later, we still don’t have a confirmed diagnosis. Until doctors can find the root cause of the inflammation, they can’t safely begin treatment—and we remain stuck in a painful and uncertain waiting game.

He was prescribed steroids, which helped briefly. But then came something worse: a persistent fever with no known source.

Stuck in limbo—no treatment until they find the cause

For four weeks, Shmuel ran a low-grade fever that no one could explain. Because of the fever, doctors had to pause treatment for the arthritis. Immunosuppressive medications like methotrexate couldn’t be started until they could rule out infection, cancer, and other serious conditions.

That began an exhausting, stressful medical journey filled with emergency room visits, urgent care appointments, and endless testing.

The medical journey so far

Shmuel has seen multiple specialists and undergone an extensive series of tests to find the cause of the fever and inflammation. These have included:

• C-Reactive Protein (CRP): Significantly elevated

• Rheumatoid Factor panel

• Bone marrow biopsy (results pending)

• T-cell gene rearrangement test

• Temporal artery biopsy

• MRA and MRI scans

• Full-body CT scan

• CMV, EBV, and Toxoplasma panels

• Haptoglobin and Direct Coombs tests

• Comprehensive metabolic panels

• CBC with differential

• Hepatitis panel

• Multiple blood and urine cultures

• Extended respiratory viral panel

We are now working with a hematologist/oncologist to find the root cause of the inflammation. Once it’s identified, Shmuel can finally begin the treatment he needs.

The impact on his body—and on our lives

While all of this has been happening, Shmuel’s symptoms have continued to worsen. In addition to joint pain, weakness, and fatigue, he is now experiencing:

• Redness and rashes across his body

• Digestive issues and acid reflux

• Loss of appetite

• 15 pounds of unintentional weight loss

He has gone from being fully functional to completely unable to work—and our family is doing everything we can to manage, emotionally and financially.

Why we’re asking for help

We are seeking $18,000 to help cover the out-of-pocket medical expenses we’ve already incurred—including emergency room visits, specialist consultations, lab work, scans, and diagnostic procedures.

Every dollar will bring us one step closer to finding the answers we desperately need so that Shmuel can finally receive the treatment to restore his health and our shared dream.

Emotionally and financially, this journey has been overwhelming. Every appointment and test has added up quickly, and as self-employed professionals, we don’t have employer-provided health benefits or paid leave.

We are holding tight to hope, believing that answers will come. But we cannot walk this path alone; we need your support. Every contribution, no matter how small, will make a significant difference in our journey and give us the strength to move forward towards Shmuel's recovery.

We’re at the very beginning of a long journey, one that’s testing us in ways we never imagined. For now, we’re taking it day by day and asking for help with the medical expenses we already have. Every bit of support helps us breathe a little easier, and we’ll keep you posted as we continue on this path.

We are immensely grateful for your love, support, and generosity during this challenging time.

With all our hearts,

— Michal and Shmuel Spiegelman

P.S. For ongoing updates and to stay connected, visit our CaringBridge page: https://www.caringbridge.org/site/c2a647b4-b372-11f0-931d-f101a2868384