Help Steph and Toni Fight!

My name is Nixie, I'm trying to raise money for my friend Steph. She was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder(BPD)and Post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) late 2019, precisely, in November.  She has constantly struggled throughout her life with serious medical issues. 

In 2007 at the tender age of 11, Steph's life took a sharp and unfamiliar turn. She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. At 13, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome(PCOS) struck! which further changed Steph's life.

In 2021, while fighting an open battle with Diabetes and PCOS, she developed symptoms of Tachycardia followed by dysautonomia the same year(suspected, but yet to be formally diagnosed) and now she is enduring excruciating chronic pain (that hasn't been diagnosed yet). 

All these forced her to take emergency medical leave from her divinity school master's program between working at a therapy clinic and leaving too.

Her mom who is her sole guardian doesn't make much and as it stands, they are having to choose between buying her medications and buying food most months, which is a  very DANGEROUS CHOICE. In fact, the cost of surviving basic necessities is fast driving them into debt.

Financial stability is non-existent for Steph and her hard-working mum who cuts through two part-time jobs and a million online side jobs at the same time in a quest to make ends meet. 

Steph has applied for disability insurance and currently working on her first denial appeal while waiting for the mandatory examination.  Her condition has compelled them to spend their little down savings, take on debt and make life-threatening changes to her prescribed medication regimen.

No one should have to choose between buying food and taking their medication_ especially not someone suffering from diabetes with insulin as her major lifesaver.

The daunting truth is that Without the necessary medication(insulin and the rest), Steph's body will break down its own fat and muscle, resulting in weight loss. This can lead to a serious short-term condition called diabetic ketoacidosis( the bloodstream becomes acidic, the body develops dangerous levels of ketones, and become severely dehydrated).

As mentioned earlier, Steph is also struggling with PCOS, a critical hormonal disorder found in women of reproductive age, where the ovaries may develop numerous small collections of fluid (follicles) and fail to release eggs regularly.

Signs and symptoms of PCOS vary; ovaries tend to be enlarged and contain follicles surrounding the eggs. As a result, the ovaries might fail to function regularly.

They also run across the following:

Irregular periods or no periods at all

Depression

Weight gain

Extreme pain

With everything going on in her life, she has had the worst flare-up this year, causing her to quit her job on February.

 As a matter of fact, invisible illness is contentious. Your condition is not seen, You often face doubt from colleagues. People think that you're being ridiculous or overdramatic. This is a huge challenge in workplace cultures that place a premium on constant productivity. 

With her mum as their only source of income, she(the mum) cannot afford to leave her job too in order to spend whatever time she has left caring for Steph. She has turned every stone looking for answers. Answers on how to help her daughter, but every stone has cost them so much money, and this loss of income has them asking for more assistance.

I have opened this GoFundMe to appeal for support in making their lives a bit easier so Steph can get the right medical attention and care she urgently needs to be able to stand strong again. She will have to undertake so many tests and possibly more procedures are foreseen down the road. 

The donations will be directed straight up to Steph’s account and your generosity will be used towards her medical expenses(current and future) and any medical bills that will arise over the coming months.

Steph is the kind of girl that would love to hear her 6 AM alarm go off, and hit the snooze button, not because she's having severe body pains and couldn't stand, but because she's hoping to catch a few more minutes of sleep before dragging herself out of bed(a morning routine most people are familiar with) 

Her series of chronic illnesses however have limited how much of a normal life she can lead. She starts with limited energy levels, everyday tasks drain her batteries before she even gets to do anything serious. (Not to mention the endless worry as to where the next fund for her medics would come from, hone calls chasing after prescriptions and referrals sap her of the little energy she has too)

Here are her words

"We are living kind of on a shoestring.... It's tough most times for us to get by each day," Steph said. "There's been times where we have had to wait for days to be able to afford my medication. I am in a position where I can not work in most public situations for long periods of time due to my mental and physical state, as I can not stand upright for more than 30 minutes at a time"

We all know that being chronically ill means adjusting your life to accommodate your sickness. And that's exactly what Steph is trying to do every day with the help of her mother.

I totally understand how rough things are for us all. With everybody taking one or several steps down, but then, it is presently tougher for Steph who is trying to afford something as basic as good health.

I need your kind support to turn things around for her! Any little bit helps. Please donate what you can. Just like every young lady in her prime, she has big plans for her future. It will be so unfortunate for illness to get the best part of her and take away her dreams of finishing her master's degree program in theology and start counseling people with ties to the church.

Please share with anyone you know that might love to help them out in this very difficult time, they would be forever grateful!!