Chelsie has a rare autoimmune disease that resulted in end-stage liver failure diagnosed this past July and requiring a liver transplant. She received a liver transplant in November, which was a relief and cause for hope for Chelsie and her loved ones. Heartbreakingly, she experienced a rare complication in the donated organ that couldn’t be healed. In February, she went through a second transplant. We were, again, hopeful.

After all that, Chelsie is back in the hospital facing a different complication that requires a long course of high-dose medications, dialysis, and several weeks of hospitalization. This means still more time out of work, away from her support system while she gets care in Massachusetts, and worst of all, more time away from Elliot and Emery.

She would not do this for herself, but her friends and family are raising funds for Chelsie. The medical costs, loss of income, and travel expenses of one transplant are enormously expensive. The cost of two transplants and a prolonged hospital stay for complications is exponential.

Here’s some of what your funds would go toward:

- Meals for Chelsie and the boys

- Travel costs between Maine and Massachusetts for care

- Medications and appointment fees not covered by insurance

- Summer programs for the kids

- A new, accessible car

- Housing for Chelsie and her kids

Chelsie has been through more than most of us can imagine. This disease and its cure are brutal on the body and the spirit. While we can’t recover the full burden of these last few months for Chelsie, please consider offsetting the extraordinary financial cost of this terrible season of Chelsie and her family’s life.