<div>For most of my life, asking for help has been one of the hardest things for me to do. I’ve always tried to carry my burdens quietly. But now, with what finally feels like a real light at the end of the tunnel, I realize I can’t reach it alone.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I’ve been sick for my entire adult life.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>My symptoms began when I was just 17 years old. At first, we didn’t realize how serious things would become. But over time, it became clear that this wasn’t something temporary—it was the beginning of a long and exhausting journey.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I was born and raised in Kentucky, where I grew up learning that basketball comes second only to Jesus… and even that’s sometimes debatable. My daddy was a Methodist minister who now runs his own ministry, and my mom dedicated her life to caring for me. First as a stay-at-home mom, and eventually as what has essentially become a full-time nurse.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>We never had a lot of money, but I learned early to appreciate the simple things in life. I’ve always loved caring for stray animals that found their way to me and watching things grow in the garden. I’ve always had a deep love for life.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>But chronic illness slowly began to dim that spark.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Starting in 2012, I began a long cycle of surgeries, specialist visits, and treatments. We went anywhere we could find answers, even places like the Mayo Clinic, hoping someone could finally explain what was happening and give us a path forward.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>But answer after answer never came.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>There were surgeries. Failed treatments. Endless appointments. Mounting medical bills. And slowly, the will to keep fighting started to fade.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Then in May of 2020, everything changed.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I was rushed to the ICU after suffering catastrophic damage from ruptured ulcers. By the time I reached the ER, I had nearly bled to death and was going into sepsis. There were moments when it was unclear whether I would survive.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Somehow, I did.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>During those long days in the ICU, I had nothing but time and my thoughts. I held onto memories of my great-grandmother and drew strength from her example. Something inside me told me my story wasn’t finished yet—that there was still something ahead worth fighting for.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>In the years since then, I’ve continued searching for answers. Sometimes it felt like I would take two steps forward only to fall ten steps back. Medications didn’t work. Diets didn’t help. Lifestyle changes never seemed to stick long enough to bring lasting relief.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>It was heartbreaking watching others move forward with their lives while I was still stuck fighting just to get through the day.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>But along the way I found something unexpected—music and community that helped carry me through the hardest moments. A song called “Damocles” by Sleep Token became something like an anthem for my journey. And through that music I found friends who helped me learn something I’ve always struggled with: that it’s okay to lean on others and ask for help.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>And now, for the first time in years, there is real hope.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>This year I finally found a doctor who believes she has identified the root cause of my illness. Not only that—she has a treatment plan that she is confident could finally allow me to live a normal life.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>A life where I can work.
</div>
<div>A life where I can support myself.
</div>
<div>A life where I can visit friends, enjoy everyday moments, and live without constant pain.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>But there is one major obstacle standing in the way.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>To begin treatment, I need to move into a completely mold-free environment. That means starting fresh—purchasing land, placing a double-wide home, and creating a safe space where my body can finally begin to heal. On top of that, there are the costs of the medical treatments required to clear the mold from my system.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>The possibility of finally living a healthy life almost feels unreal. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to process what that future could look like.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>And this isn’t just about me.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>My parents have sacrificed so much walking this journey beside me. My mom, especially, has become very ill from living in the same mold-contaminated environment for so long. Moving would help all of us begin to heal.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>They have carried this burden with me for years. I want more than anything to help lighten that load.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>So for the first time, I’m asking for help.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Any support—whether through donations, sharing our story, or simply keeping us in your thoughts—means more than I can put into words. Every bit brings us one step closer to a fresh start, a safe home, and the chance at a life that until now has always felt just out of reach.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for helping me hold onto hope.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Below is a breakdown of what we will be using the donations for.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Treatment will be $7-10,000
</div>
<div>Furniture that needs to be replaced will be around $15,000
</div>
<div>A small piece of land is around $20,000
</div>
<div>A new double will cost us between $160,000 and $200,000 
</div>
<div>Most everything we own will unfortunately needs to be replaced.
</div>

Anonymous

lisa kendall

nastassja minson

Taryn Dempsey

Marla BUerkley

Rebecca Pollitt

Patricia Meyer

Ceyda Mehmet

Melissa Vice

Ena Barbu

Aurora Arjonilla

Sandra Campbell

Megan Bradley

Dime Von Morte

Elizabeth Cauthorn

Kate Evans

Adam Miller

Hope and Healing for Our Family's Mold-Free Journey

platform

Platform is iOS

Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

$opt_dummy_attribute

English only

Deprecate Stripe Legacy

dyn_template_ids

Adyen V6 Bene Transfer & MyMoney Campaign Organizers - test01

Bene transfer V6 and AdyenV6MyMoney Campaign Organizers - production

OneTrust next-app audience

fundCountryCode

NextDoor Share Option Users

Fundraisers with Reactions feature capability

fundCurrencyCode

US + Non-charity COs Only

locale

fund country is US and user language is English

personId

comms-internal-person-ids

Enhanced Story Experience Users

Suggested Goal Experience Users

user language is English and fund country: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

Poster share - new funds eligible (newest 9/18)

Streaming widgets beta user

paymentProcessor

3DS payment method

user language is English and fundCountry: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

GoFundMe Employees

ipAddress

Mark Rieth IP Address

Version 9.2.0 and above

Fund is in English speaking country

desktop

Android v12.11.0 and above

Platform is Android

paymentMethodType

checkoutType

Payment method type group to be vaulted on success

admin pr kit prod

EUR Donation Upsell

Share Text generation Skip Fundraiser

(prod) new funds eligible for amp12 (UGC gallery)

fintrac_cad_idv_form_v2 audience

paymentProcessorAccountId

fallback mode accounts

proCampaignId

p2p legacy startfundraising page

be_supporter_comments_enabled_supported_funds

AMP24 New Funds Only PROD (DO NOT MODIFY)

countryCode

charityId

UKCharities

Federated Search Internal Testing

route.pathname community

US Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks Feature Audience

Supporter Comments Eligible Funds

International Only

fundId

braze fundraiser group 

Payment Identity Transfers ATO Risk Check (Targeted) - Production

Fundraiser Saved Payment Method Rate Limit Bypass (Production)

leaderboard-partner-id-audience-givepanel

Version 9.2.1 and above

AUD Donation Upsell audience

fundraiserCountryCode is US/EN

Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

Vault on success card payment method

Platform is iOS v11.0.0 and above

Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

allow yuno fundraisers for test

Mexico country code

Posters INTL

NPO Profile Opted-In

iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

charityCommunityId

Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

currencyCode

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

Activity Tracking v1 Beta Testing

writePath

Stream Notification

start gfm intl allowed locales

Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

prod_ach_audience

AI Chatbot Audience

amp13 only new funds (prod) (anyword auto)

UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

shared notification bell audience

Custom users

ach frontend audience

Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

Team EGG - IP Address list

Fundraiser Without Instagram Deep Link

Native 11.4.0 and above

UC Tipping v20250107

Users Receiving Braze KYC Validation Failed

Native 11.3.0 and above

Influencer - Prod

US fundraisers and US users

userEmail

template_id

userId

fundUrl

isCharityCo

email

appVersion

shouldBucketIntoExperiment

partnerId

donationCadence

isActiveFundraiser

isPartner

isMobile

npoProfileOptIn

fundIsLinkedWithMeta

hasSessionDonation

isCampaignOwner

fundHasInstagramDeepLink

Native 11.4.0 and higher

New funds eligible - Video Sharing (PROD)

GB Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks V3 Rollout Audience

Thank you V3 testing whitelist

isRecurringFriendly

Is Recurring Friendly

Excluded funds - Video Sharing

Logged In Users

CH Donation Upsell audience

Android v10.6.0 and above

userCurrencyCode

Localized Currency

v11.5.0 and above

testAudience

pathname

Survicate

appVersion is at or above 12.8.0

Non-charity fund

isChallengeFundraiser

challenge-fundraisers

Payment Identity Launch Verification - Production

New funds eligible - Posters v2

CAD Donation Upsell Audience

Braze Email Tester

NPO Profile Opted-Out

iOS App Version

hasKnownDonors

PYMK has donors

iOS v12.3.0 and above

Just $859$861$860$859$858$857 to go! Make an impact.

Hope and Healing for Our Family's Mold-Free Journey

Just $859 to go!
Make an impact.