Help Support Catherine's Healing With Scleroderma

My daughter, Catherine Holder Pruitt, has been diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease. I am asking for your monetary support in her healing as insurance will not cover all the costs of her treatments.

Here is Catherine’s story:

I am a 43-year-old mother of two teenage boys married to Gabriel Pruitt. I am a long-time resident of the Madrid and Cerrillos area in New Mexico.

I have always been very active in finding adventures and exploring nature with my family and friends. Paddle boarding is a favorite activity of mine, as well as taking nature walks, gardening and doing lots of yoga. In 2020 I was certified as a yoga teacher and had been teaching a few private clients and classes. Working two jobs, running a small business I started in 2020, teaching yoga and homeschooling my teens took up much of my time. This disease has taken most of this away, and I greatly miss it.

Here’s where my life began to change.

In March of 2022, I started to experience nerve pain in my hands after creating a large batch of jewelry for upcoming 2022 shows for my small business, Earth Mama Jewelz. The pain I experienced worsened after writing, holding something too long, or preparing food.

Then in April, I got sick with the flu, and the nerve pain progressed. The nerve pain was now in my feet and hands, impacting my mobility. Walking became difficult; daily tasks became challenging; I could not drive myself or my children for errands. I started to experience pain in all my joints, head to toe. My muscles around my joints were sore and painful, and felt bruised. My hands started to swell and would go numb and tingle often. I began to experience fatigue and depression. Headaches increased, and I noticed my heart would pound if I got too hot or did my daily tasks like walking, moving or picking something up. I was out of breath quickly. I also noticed my eyesight began to blur at night. I had never experienced any of these symptoms. At this point, I decided to see a doctor and get lab work done to figure this out.

The progression of symptoms became very scary as I did not know what was happening to me.

In May, more symptoms developed. The swelling in my hands worsened, and I could no longer wear my rings. The skin on the back of my hands became leathery and tight. Shortly after that, the tightness moved up my arms to my elbows. My hands turned colors with heat and cold, from red to purple and white. I noticed the skin on my face taking on a leathery texture. I used to clean my hairbrush out once a week, and now I am seeing hair loss and have to clean it out after each time I brush my hair. Around this time, I started experiencing pain while swallowing, which felt like a pill going down the wrong way and radiating pain to my back. My feet began to swell, and I could no longer stand for more than 15 minutes.

At this point, we began to suspect a possible autoimmune disorder. We had more lab work done which did point to Systemic Sclerosis/Scleroderma.

By June, the circulation in my feet was compromised. My feet would go tingly and numb while sitting in a chair and turning colors like my hands. I had three more doctor visits and more lab work. The doctors started me on pharmaceuticals to help relieve my symptoms.

July brought even more changes and challenges. I could no longer work as the pain forced me to resign from my job at a local gallery. My symptoms continue to increase. I realized I would have to cancel upcoming shows for my small business, Earth Mama Jewelz. Now my two sources of income are gone. I saw four more doctors. A shortage of Rheumatologists (autoimmune specialists) in New Mexico forced me to travel to Denver for an appointment. More lab work was done, and new pharmaceuticals were prescripted. The Rheumatologist suspected Systemic Sclerosis/Scleroderma and Raynaud’s Phenomenon.

The increased sense of urgency came in August as my symptoms worsened and new symptoms developed. My primary doctor called the UNM Hospital Rheumatologist, and they wanted to see me ASAP. As a result of this appointment, more labs, more prescriptions.

In September, I got a diagnosis: Diffuse Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis/Scleroderma and Raynaud’s Phenomenon. After two new prescriptions, I realized I had to devise a treatment plan to stop and reverse my symptoms and a financial plan.

My insurance does not cover the majority of my treatment plan, and the goal of my GoFundMe will only cover six months. My children have had to pick up jobs to help pay for their necessities. I sincerely appreciate my family and friends making time to help me. I am grateful for the time you’ve taken to read this and for any donation you can make to help with my ongoing medical bills.

[email redacted]

Paypal: paypal.me/catpruitt

Venmo: @Catherine-Pruitt-28r

What are Diffuse Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis/Scleroderma and Raynaud’s Phenomenon?

Diffuse Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis/Scleroderma is characterized by skin hardening and problems with many body organs. The heart, lungs, esophagus and kidneys may become involved in more severe issues like scleroderma renal crisis. Mobility becomes difficult as the skin hardens and becomes tight. The exact cause of the condition is unknown. Only 50,000 people in the U.S. have this rare subtype autoimmune disease.

The cause of Raynaud’s Phenomenon is unknown. It decreases blood flow in the fingers and sometimes the toes, ears, nose, knees and nipples. The spasms of blood vessels in those areas respond to cold, stress, or emotional upset. The risks of Raynaud’s in some cases are sores on the fingers which may progress to gangrene, leading to possible amputation of the finger. About 5-10% of the population is affected.