The start of Lyrics's struggles began in 2014 with a serious allergic reaction to penicillin. This reaction caused large, painful boils akin to third-degree burns to form all over her body.
Once the initial trauma had passed, Lyrics's immune system was left in a compromised, vulnerable state. From here, Lyrics would suffer from infection and severe atopic dermatitis (eczema). This suffering led to a long, arduous path of seeking any relief at all from the full-body pain she experienced on an everyday basis.
Eventually, the FDA approved a new drug to treat moderate to severe eczema. After burning through countless treatment options, medication, ointments, and other recommended remedies to no avail and enduring daily practical struggles (e.g. not sleeping comfortably, the constant need to moisturize/apply ointment, skin cracking and bleeding during routine activities such as picking things up) and social struggles/unsolicited advice from strangers (e.g. "Why is your skin so dry/red?", "Have you tried such and such", etc.), a dermatologist prescribed the new drug. Although administered through a painful injection straight to the stomach, the drug had breakthrough results for other patients.
Unfortunately, after 5 months of using this new drug, Lyrics began to feel more lethargic, unable to exert herself, unable to sit still, and unable to get any semblance of a good night's rest. Her condition overall worsened, and she began to feel even more ill than she already had for the past 5 years. After getting to a point where she wasn't able to make it up the three flights of stairs leading to her apartment, Lyrics went back to her dermatologist who then performed standard blood work.
After a few days of struggling, Lyrics received a phone call. "You need to go to the ER immediately." After checking into the ER, doctors informed Lyrics of her dangerously low hemoglobin, white blood cell, and platelet counts. After additional testing, the doctors reported that Lyrics was suffering from a very rare, serious condition called aplastic anemia, most likely caused by her new medication. This condition is marked by the body stopping production of enough new blood cells. Aplastic anemia results in heavy fatigue and a much higher risk of infection and uncontrolled bleeding. Lyrics is presently being administered multiple antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungals to try to help her body fight off infection as her body is unable to do that on its own. Lyrics must also receive regularly scheduled blood and platelet transfusions just to maintain her already poor condition.
Lyrics has been in constant pain for 5 years. The highlights of her life - getting married, graduating college - and her darkest moments - the passing of her father - have all been marred by her illness.
Lyrics is now faced with the challenge of fighting off infection while living in the confines of a hospital bed for the foreseeable future which is projected to be months as she waits to find a matching donor for a bone marrow transplant - the most hopeful of her treatment options - and the means to fund this expensive operation. The bone marrow transplant is the only hope Lyrics has of resetting her health back to a point where her body can produce healthy blood (and fight off infections) again. Additionally, and most excitingly, a bone marrow transplant also gives her a good chance of actually recovering from the severe, disfiguring atopic dermatitis which has plagued her this entire time.
Lyrics's husband Craig has loyally stood by her side throughout all of this, doing all that he can to help her through this trying time while also ensuring he maintains the standing necessary to continue his post-graduate studies. As it is, Lyrics and Craig have more than enough to deal with, but of course they must also contend with the all-too-common problem of medical bills as well as student loan debt now that Lyrics is unable to attend her own post-graduate program. To add insult to injury, the insurance Lyrics had at the time of being admitted to the hospital will not cover the bone marrow transplant.
Lyrics is currently stuck in limbo as she awaits approval decisions on a number of government assistance programs. Bone marrow transplants are very costly, and our greatest hope of funding the operation is through the charity of family, friends, loved ones, and others with the kindness and means to lend a helping hand. Until a bone marrow transplant is possible, Lyrics will remain hospitalized in order to have regular blood and platelet transfusions administered which only add to the already overwhelming medical costs.
We would really love for Lyrics to regain the vibrancy, health, and happiness that she had in the past.
Any contributions made to help shoulder some of the financial burden of this whole ordeal and give Lyrics her life back will be met with enormous gratitude and appreciation by Lyrics and Craig as well as their families.
If you would like to help even further or are not in a position to help financially, you could register to be a donor at bethematch.org, the National Marrow Donor Program whose registry will be searched in order to find a bone marrow donor for Lyrics. Ethnicities and mixed-race individuals like Lyrics are vastly underrepresented in the registry. Registrations give much needed hope to those in similar situations as Lyrics, and for some it's the only hope they have of attaining good health.
Once the initial trauma had passed, Lyrics's immune system was left in a compromised, vulnerable state. From here, Lyrics would suffer from infection and severe atopic dermatitis (eczema). This suffering led to a long, arduous path of seeking any relief at all from the full-body pain she experienced on an everyday basis.Eventually, the FDA approved a new drug to treat moderate to severe eczema. After burning through countless treatment options, medication, ointments, and other recommended remedies to no avail and enduring daily practical struggles (e.g. not sleeping comfortably, the constant need to moisturize/apply ointment, skin cracking and bleeding during routine activities such as picking things up) and social struggles/unsolicited advice from strangers (e.g. "Why is your skin so dry/red?", "Have you tried such and such", etc.), a dermatologist prescribed the new drug. Although administered through a painful injection straight to the stomach, the drug had breakthrough results for other patients.
Unfortunately, after 5 months of using this new drug, Lyrics began to feel more lethargic, unable to exert herself, unable to sit still, and unable to get any semblance of a good night's rest. Her condition overall worsened, and she began to feel even more ill than she already had for the past 5 years. After getting to a point where she wasn't able to make it up the three flights of stairs leading to her apartment, Lyrics went back to her dermatologist who then performed standard blood work.
After a few days of struggling, Lyrics received a phone call. "You need to go to the ER immediately." After checking into the ER, doctors informed Lyrics of her dangerously low hemoglobin, white blood cell, and platelet counts. After additional testing, the doctors reported that Lyrics was suffering from a very rare, serious condition called aplastic anemia, most likely caused by her new medication. This condition is marked by the body stopping production of enough new blood cells. Aplastic anemia results in heavy fatigue and a much higher risk of infection and uncontrolled bleeding. Lyrics is presently being administered multiple antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungals to try to help her body fight off infection as her body is unable to do that on its own. Lyrics must also receive regularly scheduled blood and platelet transfusions just to maintain her already poor condition.
Lyrics has been in constant pain for 5 years. The highlights of her life - getting married, graduating college - and her darkest moments - the passing of her father - have all been marred by her illness.
Lyrics is now faced with the challenge of fighting off infection while living in the confines of a hospital bed for the foreseeable future which is projected to be months as she waits to find a matching donor for a bone marrow transplant - the most hopeful of her treatment options - and the means to fund this expensive operation. The bone marrow transplant is the only hope Lyrics has of resetting her health back to a point where her body can produce healthy blood (and fight off infections) again. Additionally, and most excitingly, a bone marrow transplant also gives her a good chance of actually recovering from the severe, disfiguring atopic dermatitis which has plagued her this entire time.Lyrics's husband Craig has loyally stood by her side throughout all of this, doing all that he can to help her through this trying time while also ensuring he maintains the standing necessary to continue his post-graduate studies. As it is, Lyrics and Craig have more than enough to deal with, but of course they must also contend with the all-too-common problem of medical bills as well as student loan debt now that Lyrics is unable to attend her own post-graduate program. To add insult to injury, the insurance Lyrics had at the time of being admitted to the hospital will not cover the bone marrow transplant.
Lyrics is currently stuck in limbo as she awaits approval decisions on a number of government assistance programs. Bone marrow transplants are very costly, and our greatest hope of funding the operation is through the charity of family, friends, loved ones, and others with the kindness and means to lend a helping hand. Until a bone marrow transplant is possible, Lyrics will remain hospitalized in order to have regular blood and platelet transfusions administered which only add to the already overwhelming medical costs.
We would really love for Lyrics to regain the vibrancy, health, and happiness that she had in the past.
Any contributions made to help shoulder some of the financial burden of this whole ordeal and give Lyrics her life back will be met with enormous gratitude and appreciation by Lyrics and Craig as well as their families.If you would like to help even further or are not in a position to help financially, you could register to be a donor at bethematch.org, the National Marrow Donor Program whose registry will be searched in order to find a bone marrow donor for Lyrics. Ethnicities and mixed-race individuals like Lyrics are vastly underrepresented in the registry. Registrations give much needed hope to those in similar situations as Lyrics, and for some it's the only hope they have of attaining good health.