<div>Hi friends and family, 

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<div>If you’re reading this, thank you so much for taking the time. This is extremely hard and vulnerable for me to write, but this has been the toughest battle we’ve ever faced, and we have continued to face it over the last few years. 

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<div>Over the last couple of years, my health has completely changed for the worst and has continued to decline even more so recently. If you know me personally, you know I’ve been struggling with my health, battling an autoimmune disease and different chronic illnesses for a few years now. I went from being a pretty normal, working, gym-going, busy mom of two to feeling sick, flu-ish, and extreme fatigue almost every single day. 

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<div>Over the last 2-3 years, my symptoms have included:

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<div>• Extreme debilitating exhaustion and weakness that no amount of sleep resolves. 
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<div>• Extreme brain fog and cognitive decline.

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<div>• Nerve pain, extreme muscle pain, joint pain, and un explained body aches.

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<div>• Fast heart rate, tachycardia, blood pressure swings, feeling faint and dizziness.

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<div>• Flu-ish feelings every single day that no amount of rest fixes, 
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<div>• Poor Stamina 
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<div>• Excercise Intolerance
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<div>• Un refreshing sleep and waking exhausted, excessive day time sleepiness. 
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<div>•Temperature regulation problems • Sweating abnormalities 
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<div>•Feeling shaky or weak 
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<div>• Adrenaline-like surges
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<div><span>• POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome): A condition where my heart rate increases abnormally when I stand up, causing dizziness, lightheadedness, a racing heart, and fatigue.</span><br />
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<div>• MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome): A condition where mast cells release too many chemicals, causing flushing, itching, hives, stomach problems, rapid heartbeat, and blood pressure changes. 

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<div>• Endometriosis 
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<div>• Sjögren’s syndrome 
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<div>For the first few years of my sickness, I bounced between doctors, hospitals, and specialists trying to get answers. I had spent many long nights in the emergency room. No one could figure out why I was so sick. The majority of my lab work would come back “normal”, and I felt everything but normal as my health slowly declined more and more each day. 
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<div>• Rheumatologist: Diagnosed me with UCTD (Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease/Sjogren's). ( They aren't exactly sure which specific disease it is yet, but my autoimmune markers are positive.)
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<div>• Cardiologist: Ran numerous tests, EKGs, and cardiac monitoring, ultimately diagnosing me with POTS. I have been tried on many different beta-blockers.

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<div>• Neurologist: Told me my MRI is “normal,” even though I don't feel normal at all.

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<div>• Primary Care: My PCP has gone above and beyond, running extensive lab testing. However, this condition is starting to fall outside of what can be treated in a standard office. 

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<div>My PCP has helped me the most out of anyone. He has listened to me, and over time, we did testing that showed I have a specific set of genetics that make me highly susceptible to environmental toxins, environmental toxins that are found in water damage buildings and mold.  
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<div>Before finding him, I was repeatedly told it was just "stress, anxiety, and normal labs," and everything was just mostly in my head and all the while my life was quietly falling apart behind the scenes. It completely broke me down as a mother of two doing everything in my power to get my life back for my family. 
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<div>On top of all my extreme health issues, our housing situation has been completely turned upside down. 

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<div>We lived in our first rental for about three years. We loved our home and have many many great memories in that home, we grieve for that time in our lives greatly. 
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<div>We later learned, after three years of living there, that it had serious water damage and toxic mold that was completely hidden from us. We had no obvious signs to point toward the home making me sick at the time, and we had no idea hidden mold was present. We didn’t see the mold and it had no smell of mold in the home. It was all hidden in between the walls and under flooring from past, on going leaks that we were unaware of. 
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<div>When we finally connected my symptoms to our home, and connecting the with primary care, we ended up finding mold under the flooring and hidden leaks through your the home and we couldn't get help to fix the issues, the amount of issues that we found in an old rental home, it was not financially possible for us to try to fix it our selves and we no choice but to leave and walk away from everything we had known. We had to throw away a large portion of our belongings to protect my health, couches, mattresses, clothes, shoes, kids stuffed animals and try to start fresh. It was devastating and enormous loss. 
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<div>We later then moved into a newly renovated rental that we hoped would be safe. But after only five weeks there, my body crashed again with the same terrifying symptoms, this time even worse. We later found out the home had been abandoned for 7 years, had severe humidity and water-damage issues in the crawlspace and basement that we couldn't control, it was out of our hands again once again and we had no other option but to leave because we simply couldn’t continue living in an environment that was making us sick, <span>which broke us both emotionally and financially.</span>
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<div>We are currently staying with family once again. While I am incredibly grateful to have a roof over our heads, it is not a viable long-term solution and is not 100% safe for my health recovery either, the home itself has several issues that trigger my condition and ultimately make my health worse, and I try to stay out as much as humanly possible. We’ve moved numerous of times, thrown away our belongings, have things in storage we may never see again and have tried everything we could afford on our own. 

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<div>Last year, after intense saving and help from family members, we raised enough money to see a specialist six hours away. I cannot drive anymore so my elderly grandparents made the trip with me and within that visit and the specialized labs ordered are what finally put a name to this nightmare: 

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<div>CIRS – Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, triggered by long-term exposure to water-damaged buildings. 

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<div>My testing showed significant abnormalities consistent with CIRS I learned <span>that I carry two specific HLA genetic variants associated with increased susceptibility to mold illness and Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome.. these genetics make it nearly impossible for my body to recognize and clear mold and biotoxins on their own.  Instead of eliminating them, my immune system stays stuck in a severe inflammatory loop. Even after leaving the exposures, my body keeps fighting itself as if it is under constant attack. CIRS has triggered and worsened my POTS, MCAS, Endometriosis, and UCTD/Sjogren's symptoms.</span><br />
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<div>My primary care doctor is incredibly kind, but treating CIRS requires specific, advanced protocols that majority of regular doctors aren't trained in. The specialist care, advanced labs, and safe housing we need are completely out-of-pocket and far beyond what we can manage alone, especially after two sudden, costly moves. 

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<div>What Your Help Supports:

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<div>I am asking for help with things I realistically cannot do alone:

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<div>• CIRS-Focused Medical Care: Specialist visits, follow-ups, and specialized labs not covered by insurance or Medicaid.

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<div>• Treatments &amp; Protocols: Supportive supplements and prescriptions recommended by my doctors to calm my immune and nervous systems.

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<div>• Environmental Safety: High-efficiency air purifiers, dehumidifiers, and professional environmental testing to guarantee our next home is 100% safe.

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<div>• Replacing Essentials: Replacing the furniture and clothing we had to throw away due to contamination.

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<div>• Safer Housing Costs: A security deposit, first month's rent, and moving expenses to get us into a medically safe, low-mold rental. 

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<div>My goal is simple: 
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<div>I want my health to stabilize enough so I can continue working at the job I love, support my little family, and be the mom my kids truly deserve and need me to be. I don't expect a miracle cure, but I know that with the right treatment and a safe place to live for my body to heal, I have a real chance to improve instead of slowly getting worse. 

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<div>If you cannot donate, sharing this link means just as much to us. Thank you for reading, praying, checking on us, and helping in any way you can. It all matters more than you know. 

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<div><span>With love,</span><b><i> </i></b><br />
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<div>August

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Mark Crane

Anonymous

Elzbieta Sutcliffe

Eric DORNINGER

George Foley

Jacob Merkel

Jessica Cornfeld

Allie Bloom

Dani Larsen

Daniel Khwaja

Heidi Huffman

J Smith

Sydney Rasnake

Nathaniel Wallace

Help a Mom Rebuild Her Life After Chronic Illness

Help a Mom Rebuild Her Life After Chronic Illness

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