Lupus took my smile, help return it
Donation protected
Watch this slideshow to see her changes over the recent years...
I was not sharing my story to be a martyr or to have people take pity on me. I shared my story simply because I have been repeatedly encouraged by my close family to reach out, tell my story and simply ask for help. Until my son Anthony, showed me this site, I didn’t know that such a thing even existed. Yesterday, however, after receiving my third quote from the oral surgeon, I drafted my campaign. My life is a textbook case that defines the affects of what long-term auto-immune diseases can and will do to a person, and in this case it is me. In the last three years, I have deteriorated to the point that would keep you from even recognizing me. I used this site because my closest family members have asked me to just bite the bullet and reach out. I am referring to my children and my nieces, who realize how incredibly emotional this is for me. It is, however, far past the point of allowing for my pride to interfere, so yesterday I created my campaign. Once they viewed what I did, they have asked me allow them to author and maintain this campaign. That way I do not have to actively relive so much of the negative activities and allow them to “show” what I live through daily. It is a daily occurrence for me and so many more people with these horrible diseases. I sincerely hope that sharing my story will be two-fold. First, to assist me in raising the money I need to survive and raise my little girl, Jade. Second, is to raise the awareness of this horrible class of diseases known as Auto-immune disease. I have battled disease for the last twenty-five years, but am now at the point where I absolutely have to reach out to my family, friends, both old and new, and even kind-hearted strangers. At this point, they are stepping up so that you will realize the importance of the contributions I am asking for without having to know that this is by far the hardest thing I have ever had to do. And I am sure that I will be unrecognizable to most of you.
My mother/aunt, Holly is 48 year old woman that has been suffering from Immune Diseases for over two decades. She was diagnosed first with Lupus and Fibromyalgia in 1995, but was still able to work, earned her MBA, and raised us as a single mother. She served in the Navy and worked for Department of Defense for over twenty years. She loved my her job!
However in 2009, she was further diagnosed with dibilitating acute Crohns disease in addition to the other diseases and was forced to retire. Because the Crohns is so aggresive, it has also led to vitamins B-12 and D2 defincies. She has lost over thirty pounds in less then a year and the diseases make it hard to spend time with us. and being with us is when she is the happiest. Spending time with family and friends has ALWAYS been her favorite pasttime. One of the things that weighs on her the most is that she feels that Jade isn't getting the same mothering as we did. It absolutely kills her that she won't be around for Jade and the grandkids. This funding is so important because the SICCA is rotting her teeth and in the matter of about three months her smile has turned into what you see here. Not to mention that the decay is making herr body fight even harderr. This has to be fixed or it could cause her to become septic, affect her heart, or even the kidneys that are already not working well.
Her total dental bill as of yesterday $75,963.
Because she couldn't work, she was forced to apply for a disability retirement with the Office of Personnel. I had no money coming in and it took them a year to approve She was also told bu OPM that she needed to "contact" Social Security because her retirement would decrease yearly to 40% of her current benefit. She applied for SS in 2011 and was only approved late last year, that's three years. So needless to say she fought for the last five years for her disability and now that she is trying to get it together the mortgage company is trying to forclose on the house. The same house that she has literally invited others to stay when they would be homeless. To include granddmother that had resided with our uncle until he passed away. If she wouldn't have moved in with her she would have passed away in a nursing home. Instead grandma spent the last three years of her life surrounded by her grandchildren. She also allowed her cousin and his family in when they were evicted, instead of being homeless they lived in our home for almost a year. She is working tirelessly with the mortgage company and their attorneys, but it is taxing her health and if she was able to raise this money she could just get rid of the problem altogether and FINALL focus on just taking care of her health.
Meanwhile, everyday is a struggle with her health, somedays she is bad, somedays she is worse. Although we have re-written some of what she wrote yesterday we are keeping in the effects that the disease as she wrote, "My body aches and my joints ache. I have symptoms with my Crohns that are not even for discussion. I have started a low dose a type of chemotherapy weekly, and a plethora of medications. I Between the diseases I have and the medicines I take, my oral surgery is severe. Not only because I can't eat, and it so painful, but I don't think it's fair that on the days that I am feeling good, I can't smile. The worst of it is the decay can kill me. My body isn't strong enough and it can lead to heart disease, sepsis, kidney problems. I have been to three dentists and have finally found one that is willing to work side by side with my Rheumatologist. I have already been in the hospital twice this year for major kidney infections. All of my teeth have to come out and because RA and Lupus affect the tissue, and gums are tissue. So I can't have regular false teeth, because the gums flare up and swell and/or shrink constantly. So they must put implants to the bone .
Thank you, and God Bless You. Prayers are welcome!
Checks can be sent to:
13241 Sunfish Drive
Hudson, FL 34667
or to any Suntrust bank
or via this application
I was not sharing my story to be a martyr or to have people take pity on me. I shared my story simply because I have been repeatedly encouraged by my close family to reach out, tell my story and simply ask for help. Until my son Anthony, showed me this site, I didn’t know that such a thing even existed. Yesterday, however, after receiving my third quote from the oral surgeon, I drafted my campaign. My life is a textbook case that defines the affects of what long-term auto-immune diseases can and will do to a person, and in this case it is me. In the last three years, I have deteriorated to the point that would keep you from even recognizing me. I used this site because my closest family members have asked me to just bite the bullet and reach out. I am referring to my children and my nieces, who realize how incredibly emotional this is for me. It is, however, far past the point of allowing for my pride to interfere, so yesterday I created my campaign. Once they viewed what I did, they have asked me allow them to author and maintain this campaign. That way I do not have to actively relive so much of the negative activities and allow them to “show” what I live through daily. It is a daily occurrence for me and so many more people with these horrible diseases. I sincerely hope that sharing my story will be two-fold. First, to assist me in raising the money I need to survive and raise my little girl, Jade. Second, is to raise the awareness of this horrible class of diseases known as Auto-immune disease. I have battled disease for the last twenty-five years, but am now at the point where I absolutely have to reach out to my family, friends, both old and new, and even kind-hearted strangers. At this point, they are stepping up so that you will realize the importance of the contributions I am asking for without having to know that this is by far the hardest thing I have ever had to do. And I am sure that I will be unrecognizable to most of you.
My mother/aunt, Holly is 48 year old woman that has been suffering from Immune Diseases for over two decades. She was diagnosed first with Lupus and Fibromyalgia in 1995, but was still able to work, earned her MBA, and raised us as a single mother. She served in the Navy and worked for Department of Defense for over twenty years. She loved my her job!
However in 2009, she was further diagnosed with dibilitating acute Crohns disease in addition to the other diseases and was forced to retire. Because the Crohns is so aggresive, it has also led to vitamins B-12 and D2 defincies. She has lost over thirty pounds in less then a year and the diseases make it hard to spend time with us. and being with us is when she is the happiest. Spending time with family and friends has ALWAYS been her favorite pasttime. One of the things that weighs on her the most is that she feels that Jade isn't getting the same mothering as we did. It absolutely kills her that she won't be around for Jade and the grandkids. This funding is so important because the SICCA is rotting her teeth and in the matter of about three months her smile has turned into what you see here. Not to mention that the decay is making herr body fight even harderr. This has to be fixed or it could cause her to become septic, affect her heart, or even the kidneys that are already not working well.
Her total dental bill as of yesterday $75,963.
Because she couldn't work, she was forced to apply for a disability retirement with the Office of Personnel. I had no money coming in and it took them a year to approve She was also told bu OPM that she needed to "contact" Social Security because her retirement would decrease yearly to 40% of her current benefit. She applied for SS in 2011 and was only approved late last year, that's three years. So needless to say she fought for the last five years for her disability and now that she is trying to get it together the mortgage company is trying to forclose on the house. The same house that she has literally invited others to stay when they would be homeless. To include granddmother that had resided with our uncle until he passed away. If she wouldn't have moved in with her she would have passed away in a nursing home. Instead grandma spent the last three years of her life surrounded by her grandchildren. She also allowed her cousin and his family in when they were evicted, instead of being homeless they lived in our home for almost a year. She is working tirelessly with the mortgage company and their attorneys, but it is taxing her health and if she was able to raise this money she could just get rid of the problem altogether and FINALL focus on just taking care of her health.
Meanwhile, everyday is a struggle with her health, somedays she is bad, somedays she is worse. Although we have re-written some of what she wrote yesterday we are keeping in the effects that the disease as she wrote, "My body aches and my joints ache. I have symptoms with my Crohns that are not even for discussion. I have started a low dose a type of chemotherapy weekly, and a plethora of medications. I Between the diseases I have and the medicines I take, my oral surgery is severe. Not only because I can't eat, and it so painful, but I don't think it's fair that on the days that I am feeling good, I can't smile. The worst of it is the decay can kill me. My body isn't strong enough and it can lead to heart disease, sepsis, kidney problems. I have been to three dentists and have finally found one that is willing to work side by side with my Rheumatologist. I have already been in the hospital twice this year for major kidney infections. All of my teeth have to come out and because RA and Lupus affect the tissue, and gums are tissue. So I can't have regular false teeth, because the gums flare up and swell and/or shrink constantly. So they must put implants to the bone .
Thank you, and God Bless You. Prayers are welcome!
Checks can be sent to:
13241 Sunfish Drive
Hudson, FL 34667
or to any Suntrust bank
or via this application
Organizer
Holly Foster-Andersen
Organizer
Hudson, FL
