- J
- D
- A
The Story:
At 16 years old, Piper Martin should be focused on her hobbies, spending time with friends, and dreaming about her future after school. She has always been a bright, creative, and determined girl with so much life ahead of her.
However, over the last 5 years, Piper’s world has been turned upside down by a series of devastating and complex neurological and physical conditions.
What began as manageable symptoms has spiralled into a daily battle with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), Gastroparesis, Tourette’s, and Non-Epileptic Seizures.
For those unfamiliar, FND is often described as a "software" issue of the brain. While her physical structures (the hardware) appear normal on scans, the signals between her brain and body are "glitching." This manifest in unpredictable and exhausting ways:
- Non-Epileptic Seizures & Tics: Piper faces frequent, violent seizures and Tourette's-related tics that leave her physically spent and often in pain.
- Gastroparesis: Her stomach is partially paralysed, making it incredibly difficult to eat, digest food, or maintain the nutrition a growing teenager needs.
- Loss of Independence: Because of the frequency of her seizures and the severity of her FND, Piper has had to make the heartbreaking decision to leave school. Being separated from her peers and her education has been one of the hardest parts of this journey.
Why we need your help:
Piper is a fighter, but the road to "re-training" her nervous system is long and incredibly expensive. Traditional medicine often struggles to treat FND, requiring highly specialized multidisciplinary teams, intensive physical therapy, and nutritional support that is often not fully covered by insurance.
We are raising funds to help Piper access:
- Specialist FND Rehabilitation: Intensive therapy programs designed to help her brain and body communicate correctly again.
- Medical & Nutritional Management: Targeted treatments for her Gastroparesis to ensure she gets the strength she needs to recover.
- Home Care & Accessibility: Supporting her daily needs and safety equipment while she is unable to attend school.
- Travel & Specialist Consults: Accessing the few doctors who truly understand these complex "invisible" illnesses.
How you can support Piper:
Our goal is simple: we want to give Piper her life back. We want to see her healthy enough to return to the classroom and live the life a 16-year-old deserves.
Any donation, no matter how small, goes directly toward Piper’s medical care and recovery journey. If you aren’t in a position to donate, please consider sharing this page with your friends, family, and community. Every share brings us one step closer to getting Piper the help she needs.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kindness, prayers, and support for Piper.
With gratitude,
The Martin Family
Organizer
