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Keep Annie's autoimmune disease under control!

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As most of you know, my wife Annie Sage-Clontz and I have been going through a great deal of hardship since she was diagnosed with multiple rare, difficult to treat, and potentially life-threatening autoimmune disorders over a year ago.

They are (Click links to learn more) :

Symptoms emerged slowly about a month after recovering from a Covid infection and became explosive and debilitating in the months that followed her layoff in December 2022. Thankfully, because her symptoms were so intense, she was able to be diagnosed quickly in April 2023. Initially, we had to "hit it like a bomb" because she tested positive for severe biomarkers and there was the strong possibility that the disease would progress rapidly. We heard statistics like "50% of people die in 6 months after diagnosis". Needless to say, this was the beginning of a journey that continues to evolve as more minor elements of the diseases become controlled, while the most serious ones persist despite aggressive treatment.

The most frightening of these diseases is attacking her lungs, and despite outward appearances her lung scans continue to worsen, which most likely means she is pre-symptomatic and can expect respiratory failure at some point if the progression is not stopped. Recently, her medical team has added Rituxan infusions to her long list of treatments. Rituxan is most often used to treat forms of cancer like Lymphoma and Leukemia, and is generally considered a "rescue therapy" treatment for autoimmune disorders that are not responding to less aggressive therapies. As of February, her team has begun discussing the potential for an early referral for lung transplant if the Rituxan doesn't stabilize her lungs. The average wait time for one lung is 2 years and 3-4 years for both lungs. She has been receiving multiple 5-hour IV plasma infusion treatments monthly since last June, while taking daily oral medications at maximum dosages since the start of all this. The general prognosis for Annie's condition is somewhere around 3-5 years life expectancy depending on how well she responds to treatment and how well she is able to stay on top of her care.

You may also know that the difficulty of her diagnosis has been made worse by me losing my job as the tech industry continues to downsize, and for 7 months now it's proven incredibly challenging to find new work. I have networked, been given referrals, reached out to other professionals for resume reviews and mock interviews, invested in job search resources, and more. I have been willing to accept lesser roles and lower pay in exchange for quality healthcare benefits, while also applying for roles with better pay and lower benefits. I've applied to countless scores of roles across industries and interviewed with 14 companies so far, 7 of which took me to the final round; but the job market in the field I've been working in for the past 3 years has become wildly competitive beyond anything I could have imagined. Many of my fellow tech professionals have encountered these same challenges. I've spoken with highly talented people in the industry who have been on the job hunt even longer than me.

I've also attempted to fall back on my restaurant experience, but those efforts haven't been successful either. Labor shortages in food service and retail have largely cooled, and restaurateurs and retailers are seemingly uninterested in someone who has been away from the industry for 4 years. My search is also made more complex by my need to strongly consider Annie's safety as she is severely immunocompromised.

I have begun teaching guitar lessons and scouting music gigs to bring in some extra income and we are preparing to sell whatever possessions of ours have any remote value, but this is obviously not a long-term solution and marketing yourself in these areas takes patience.

Now that my unemployment benefits are exhausted, credit card and medical debts are crushingly high with no relief in sight, we're primarily concerned for our ability to continue to hope for Annie's ongoing medical needs, continuity of healthcare, and our future stability. She is under extreme amounts of stress like I've never seen. She continues to fight for herself while navigating the never-ending issues that our overly complicated healthcare system creates while managing a medical team of 7 specialists and treatment centers all over town, every single month.

And as anyone who knows Annie can attest to, it goes without saying that she's used all of her master-level researching and strategizing skills to figure out a solution and investigate any social programs we may qualify for. We unfortunately just fall through the cracks of those programs. She's put these skills to use on behalf of friends and family many times, and many of you know firsthand just how amazing her talents and level of care in those areas are. Annie is the most resourceful person I know and together, we continue to brainstorm new solutions every day.

We have hesitated to reach out for financial help until now because despite feeling the intensity of our struggles, we've made it work over the last 14 months. We also fully understand and can relate to the fact that most people are experiencing some level of struggle and uncertainty in their own lives. We know it is not easy out there right now, nor has it ever been.

That being said, we are immensely appreciative and humbled by your donations in any amount you are able to support us with. We have truly reached a point in our lives where a series of unfortunate and unexpected events have converged with terrible timing. We will be forever in your gratitude, and you can count on us to be there for you as best we can in any way we are able. We will continue to update this page with news regarding Annie's health and our stability as our situation changes - hopefully, with your help, for the better.

Thank you so much. We love you all.
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    Organizer

    Kyle Sage-Clontz
    Organizer
    Denver, CO

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