Dear friends and supporters,

After nearly 8 years of severe illness and an exhausting journey to diagnosis, I’m reaching out for help to cover the overwhelming costs of my treatment. Lyme disease, Rickettsia, and Mammalian tick allergy, among other health issues, have severely impacted my life, health, and finances. The path to managing or recovering from these conditions involves costly medical care, tests, therapies, and essential living expenses that are beyond what I can manage alone.

Any contribution whether financial or by sharing my story will mean the world to me. Your support offers hope in a time when I need it most.

Thank you for your kindness,

Skye

~~~

A bit more about my situation…

I never thought I’d be in this position, but I’ve reached a point where I can no longer manage my health journey alone. For years, I’ve been battling chronic illnesses, including Lyme disease, Rickettsia, and Mammalian tick allergy, and my health and finances have both reached a breaking point. I’ve had a lot of resistance to asking for help, but I think the need has surpassed my fear of being perceived as “less-than” or a failure in some way. Being in a role of supporting others has been a major part of my identity, so asking for help now feels incredibly vulnerable. But I’m learning that vulnerability itself can be a source of strength, allowing others to connect with and support me in my time of need. I’ve also had to move through letting go of any guilt or fear which has been an initiation in and of itself.

My Health Journey and Challenges:

Since becoming unwell almost 8 years ago, I’ve struggled with intense fatigue, chronic pain, brain fog, and immune issues that have escalated over time. My symptoms became intensified since early this year and I’ve found myself incapacitated and unable to function. I’ve been dealing with; chronic and severe fatigue, headaches, nose bleeds, allergies and inflammation, body aches, reoccurring injuries especially in the joints, brain fog, memory loss, cognitive impairment, emotional dysregulation, anxiety, panic attacks, executive disfunction, bouts of depression, hairloss, digestive issues, low blood pressure, dizziness and shortness of breath, post-exertional malaise, temperature intolerance, nightmares, jaw pain, suicidal ideation and more…

Recently, I received a Lyme disease diagnosis—a piece of the puzzle that took 7 years to discover mostly due to medical negligence and lack of education and awareness around these more complex and invisible illnesses. My health has been further complicated by a Mammalian tick allergy which is essentially an allergy to most meat (limiting dietary options), adrenal fatigue, and potentially a genetic condition called hEDS, along with multiple joint injuries and hypermobility symptoms.

There have been times when I have felt so bleak, so defeated, that I’m going insane or have descended into hell. 7 years of my life (8 by the end of the year) has been hijacked and compromised. That really does something to a person. However finally having a diagnosis and a pathway to healing there is hope.

Financial Burden and Treatment Costs:

Unfortunately, the road to managing these conditions is costly, and my finances simply can’t cover all the care I need. Here’s a breakdown of the primary expenses:

• Integrative Doctor Visits: $600 per hour at NIIM, every 2-3 weeks

• Medical Testing: $500-$3,000 for Lyme-related tests, plus additional genetic testing

• Supplements and Medications: $1,000-$1,500 every two months to support immunity and symptom management

• Special Therapies: $100-$2,000 for red light therapy, infrared, lymphatic drainage, colonics, bioresonance, etc.

• Physical Rehabilitation: $100-$700 for physiotherapy to restore strength and mobility

These costs are in addition to everyday expenses like rent, bills, and groceries, which are challenging to cover without full-time work and with limited government support.

Why I’m Asking for Help:

Finally having a diagnosis provides some hope, yet my journey to healing is just beginning. It’s been emotionally and financially draining, and the burden has become too great to carry on my own. Below is a list of my formal diagnoses and tentative diagnoses, showing the complexity of my health situation.

Formal Diagnoses:

• Lyme disease

• Rickettsia

• Mammalian tick allergy

• Adrenal fatigue

• Hypermobility syndrome

• Chronic fatigue syndrome

• Mast cell activation syndrome

• Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome

• Blastocystis & Giardia infections

• Epstein-Barr virus

• Irritable bowel syndrome

• Complex PTSD

• Anxiety disorder

Tentative Diagnoses (Pending Confirmation):

• Dysautonomia

• MTHFR gene mutation

• hEDS (genetic disorder)

Your support means everything, reaching out and sharing my story isn’t easy, but I know I can’t continue on this path alone. Any contribution, large or small, would be deeply appreciated. If you’re unable to donate, sharing my story is just as valuable. Your support brings hope and a chance for healing.

I really hope that through sharing my story I can help create more awareness and understanding around these autoimmune conditions to prevent others from going through the unnecessary suffering that I’ve experienced and also to help people to understand invisible illness which could lead to those suffering to receive the compassion, understanding and support they need.

Thank you for reading, for caring, and for being there in whatever way you can.

With gratitude, Skye