Lets help Alex gain her independence!!!

I’m starting this fundraiser for my cousin Alexandra Rodriguez, the most selfless, dedicated, hard working  person I know! Alex was diagnosed with a rare disease called Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, also known as FOP. This disease is extremely debilitating and comes with many restrictions. Alex has never used her diagnoses as an excuse to hold her back, on the contrary she didn’t let it stop her one bit. Alex has achieved so many accomplishments in her lifetime already that most people don’t achieve in their entire lifetime. One of her accomplishments that I admire most is obtaining her Masters in Forensic Psychology with concentration in child protection. She even chose a career path where she is able to help and advocate for  the public. FOP causes bone to form in muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Forming a second skeleton that imprisons the body in bone restricting mobility. There is NO cure or treatment. Only 285 cases known in the U.S and 900 cases known worldwide!

This past year Alex had a bad flare up of her FOP that has restricted her further.  Alex has been fighting for 8 months for a power chair to be able to gain her independence back to return to her full time job as a clinical case manager counseling  young children. The insurance company hasn’t approved Alex for the power chair because they consider it a luxury not a necessity! I cannot believe that we have an amazing woman willing to do anything to continue to work and help others and she is not qualified for a power chair that will allow her to safely be out of her home and continue to be the productive member of society that she is! Please help me raise money to help Alex with all the medical equipment that will allow her to rerun to work full time! She is currently waiting for a response from the insurance company in regards to her appeal but her job has given her a time frame, March 30th, to rerun to work full time or they have to let her go. This power chair is $85,000!!!! Alex will also need to get a van with a lift once she has the chair!! Whatever money is raised will go towards the power chair or van. If we can just get 85000 people to donate $1 dollar we can make a huge difference in this wonderful woman’s life! I appreciates everyone’s support!