Go Amanda Go

Hi everyone!

Everyone who knows Amanda knows that she is AWESOME. She is:
- A kind-hearted and trustworthy friend
- An uber talented designer with a unique aesthetic 
- A witty storyteller
- A great cheerleader (for whatever circumstances that you may need support in)
- An all around amazing person

You may also know that she is the epitome of persistence, which is something that has gotten her through decades of suffering from TREATMENT-RESISTANT DEPRESSION (TRD), which we have learned is, in her case, a direct result of imbalances in her brain chemistry. 

The past 10 years have been a particularly grueling journey. It has included:
- 15 different psychiatric medications
- 4 counselors or psychiatrists (for years on end)
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
- Ketamine treatments

Some of these, particularly treatments, such as TMS and Ketamine, that address brain chemistry have provided some relief. However, for various reasons, the efficacy wore off last July, so Amanda has been wrestling with severe depression since them and is now weary from the fight.

One of the more promising treatments for treatment-resistant depression is ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY (ECT), which has a 70 - 80% success rate. Amanda just started her first treatment yesterday, March 25, 2020. The treatment went very smoothly and she is doing well. She will need to get between 12 - 18 sessions, after which, if successful, they will begin to wean her off, by reducing the number of sessions until she either is completely off of them or only needs them occasionally.

THE HITCH: Amanda needs someone to pick her up from each of her ECT sessions because short term confusion and dizziness are common side effects. Normally, her network of friends and family would pick her up. However, given the COVID-19 pandemic’s exponential growth curve and the current NYC epicenter, identifying people to pick her up has become a challenge. Her doctor suggested that we utilize a home health aide worker, which is how we were able to get her checked out and home after her treatment yesterday. 

However, the cost of the home health aide worker is $114 per procedure plus the car ride home is ~$20, so the cost of getting Amanda home after each session is $135. We would like to raise $2500, which will cover the cost of getting her home for 18 sessions ($2430), plus the majority of the cost of the intake / registration fee for the home health aid organization ($105). 

TO SUMMARIZE: We are hoping that you all will enable Amanda to continue getting these treatments during this unprecedented time, by helping us to fund a home health worker who will check her out after the procedure and help her get home. We would be grateful for any contribution, regardless of the size. 

Here is a drawing that only Amanda could have created that summarizes the ECT process.


Thanks for loving Amanda in this way and supporting her in this journey!