Kacey's Fight Against Systemic Scleroderma

Hello all! My name is Erik and I am Kacey’s younger brother. Kacey is an amazing and selfless person, teacher, sister, daughter, aunt and friend.

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This year Kacey was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called Diffuse Systemic Sclerosis or Scleroderma. It is a progressive disease that affects the connective tissue and causes fibrosis throughout the body, including internal organs. Like many autoimmune diseases, the severity of the disease varies from person to person. In Scleroderma, the severity depends on the type of Scleroderma and the antibody present. Kacey tested positive for an antibody called SCL-70, which indicates a more progressive and severe form of Scleroderma. Kacey is in the early stages but it has already affected her lungs, circulatory system, joints, muscles, skin and tendons. After diagnosis, she had a CT scan of her lungs which showed ILD or Interstitial Lung Disease caused by Scleroderma. She is currently undergoing further testing to see if it has affected her heart, GI system or other internal organs.

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There is no known cure for this disease but luckily Kacey was diagnosed early and found an amazing group of clinicians at CU Anschutz, which is recognized as a Scleroderma Center of Excellence by the National Scleroderma Foundation. Her specialist at CU Anschutz referred her to doctors at The Blood Cancer Institute of Colorado to begin preparing for a Stem Cell Transplant. The Stem Cell Transplant will hopefully halt the progression of this disease and allow Kacey to have a better quality of life and better prognosis moving forward. The sooner this treatment is done, the better because it can stop further damage from occurring. She will be undergoing a series of testing to make sure that she can make it through the transplant without complications. If all goes well, she is set to begin treatment at the beginning of May. Kacey will be admitted to the hospital and will go through chemotherapy and radiation to “kill off” her immune system and her stem cells will be reintroduced to “reboot” her immune system. For the duration of this process, she must be relocated out of her home and needs a full-time caregiver while she rebuilds her immune system and regains her strength.

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This Go Fund Me will help Kacey focus on her journey from treatment through recovery so she does not have to worry about the financial aspects of the treatment and the recovery process.

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Despite this devastating news, Kacey has remained very positive. Even after fully understanding the gravity of the situation, Kacey has continued to believe this is not the end but simply a new beginning. She plans to update everyone on the process of her treatment and hopefully spread awareness and educate people about this rare disease.

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Kacey would never ask for help but as her family, we are all doing what we can to show her how much we all care and how big her team really is! It would mean so much to her to know that she has so many people rooting for her!

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Thank you for your support!