Hi. My name is Jonelle Demby and I am fundraising for my keloid removal surgeries because health insurance companies do not cover keloids. Keloid scars are raised scars that continuously heal beyond the boundaries of the original skin trauma. My keloids have grown really fast and have joined with neighboring scars and it has gotten to a point where it’s starting to get hard to raise my arms and neck. It’s difficult to sleep because it’s so uncomfortable to lie on them. They all itch like crazy and I get pains that feel like everything from paper cuts to deep throbbing pain. Even with all of this insurance companies consider keloid removal as a cosmetic procedure and do not cover it. This is why I am forced to fundraise, because it will take multiple procedures and surgeries just to get me back to a more comfortable quality of life. If you can, please help me reach my goal. ___________________________________________________ It’s costing me and my family $10,000 to start the surgery on my part neck and get the radiation treatments. The surgeon can only do a little bit at a time depending on how much skin he can pull together, so I have a long expensive journey in front of me. But I am hopeful. ___________________________________________________ I have become an early advocate for Keloid Warriors like myself. I try to get the message to everyone I can that they can’t be afraid to show their scars. That we all have to learn to be as comfortable was we can in our skin. There is a community of us and we are trying to raise the awareness of our condition and hopefully in the future get insurance companies to change their position on keloid removal. But my pain is now and I’m asking you to help me so that I can help others like me.