Kimey’s medical expenses

Over the last couple of years, my niece, Kimey has been treated for many ailments. She saw specialists for a number of issues that seemed unrelated. The symptoms would be resolved for brief periods only to return again.

Shortly after her wisdom teeth surgery, last year, many of these issues/symptoms became  severe and debilitating. It was obvious that something was very wrong. After multiple doctor appointments, emergency room visits and testing, Kimey was finally diagnosed with Behcet’s Disease.

Behcet’s Disease is a rare autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation in blood vessels throughout the body affecting multiple systems in the body. Her doctor said that it is common for a patient with Behcet’s to have sypmtoms in “flares” and then after a surgery or trauma to develop full blown severe symptoms. There can be serious and disabling complications associated with Behcet’s, the most common being blindness. She was referred to a specialist at New York University with expertise in treating Behcets.

Her diagnosis was confirmed by the specialist at NYU and it was determined by their retina specialist that her eyes were already being affected. They started her on a combination of medications in hopes of putting her into remission and reducing the risk of vision loss. She has had to return to NYU for monthly injections for several months now. She did respond partially to the medicine, seeing some symptoms improved, but many have continued to get worse. She is taking over a dozen medications to treat her symptoms associated with multiple illnesses including Crohns/Uclerative Colitis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Lupus, Uveitis, and POTS/Dysautonomia.

The doctors are now ready to start a new combination of more aggressive medications because the longer she goes without a period of remission the worse her long term prognosis.

Kimey was once an extremely active young girl. Since the onset of this disease, she is not able to do any of the activities she once enjoyed due to physical limitations, pain, and sheer exhaustion caused by Behcet’s.

Kimey is covered on her parent’s health insurance, but insurance will not cover all of her treatment. With all of the expenses of her illness so far, they are struggling to pay for it. 

Please consider making a donation to Kimey’s treatment so there are no delays and no time is lost to put this disease into remission. A donation of any size will help and your support will be appreciated. If you know someone that might be interested in helping, please feel free to share.