Rhian Needs Life Saving Treatment

Aloha Friends. My name is Sundee Campbell, and my wife, Rhian, has had a wild ride through the years with her unique immunodeficiency and autoimmune disorder. I call it “Rhian Campbell’s Disease”. Right now she’s suffering from what doctors believe is an extremely rare condition called Relapsing Polychondritis, which causes inflammation and eventual breakdown of the cartilage throughout the body. We all thought it was an infection of the outer ear. Rhian has been taking one type of antibiotic after another for 5 months now, eventually getting to a dangerous class that we knew could lead to awful side effects. When those didn’t work she was finally admitted to the hospital where they began a 4 week course of IV antibiotics, sending her home after one week to self-administer these antibiotics through a port called a midline.

Despite this, it has continued to spread and has now begun to affect her trachea and her ability to breathe. Her only relief has come from taking an immunosuppressant. Because of this, her doctors have assessed that Rhian is suffering an attack stemming from her own immune system, which may be affecting her kidneys too.

Now we have to scramble to find her some help from the right specialists. Her best chance of getting an effective treatment would have us travel to work with a team in Pennsylvania who specialize in rare autoimmune disorders. Rhian is now working on receiving insurance approvals and getting her health stable enough to travel.

As we chart our course, we have to admit we face financial hardships. Her medical leave will soon drop her income to 58% of her nonprofit salary. Rhian’s diagnosis and treatment could easily take a month or more, during which time I will earn no income while being her caregiver in Pennsylvania. We need to pay for air fare and lodging out of pocket. Insurance may reimburse part of her air fare. We are facing additional challenges that would make for a great country western tune, really. Bottom line, we could really use some financial help right now to keep us afloat during this tough time in our lives. If you can afford to chip in some cash, we would be very grateful.

If you’re on island and are able to help in another way, we need some help watching our dog while we’re gone. Prepared meals for Rhian’s mom are needed as we are her primary caregivers. Please reach out to Rhian directly as she’s organizing a calendar for meal planning.

Rhian is a valued member of our island community. When she was disabled, she volunteered for multiple organizations and was ultimately able to re-enter the workforce, thanks to her team in Pennsylvania whose treatment recommendations have given her years of relief. We aim to do this again with your support. Please help us get Rhian back to meaningful work, saving plants and helping our community.

Mahalo for your support!