Support Anna's Fight Against Chronic Illness

Hi friends, family, and community members,

I’m reaching out for someone who means the world to me– my incredible friend Anna. She’s one of the kindest, most resilient, and deeply compassionate people I know. She’s the last person to ever ask for help, but right now, she truly needs it.

Anna lives with a long list of complex chronic illnesses, including Fibromyalgia, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Chronic Pain, Hemochromatosis, and suspected Endometriosis. These conditions cause her to have constant pain, extreme fatigue, allergic reactions, and put her at high risk for fainting, making everyday tasks like standing, walking, or even thinking clearly incredibly difficult. She wakes up in pain every day. Even simple tasks like getting dressed or taking a shower can trigger debilitating flares.

Anna is currently receiving care at the Cleveland Clinic, one of the nation’s top hospitals for complex chronic illness. She is also working closely with a doctor of functional medicine to address the root causes of her conditions. These treatments have been incredibly important in managing her symptoms, but unfortunately, many of them, including labs, appointments, prescriptions, and therapies, are not covered by insurance. Some of her care requires out-of-state travel, which adds significant costs for gas, lodging, and lost income.

Despite facing debilitating health challenges, Anna has been working over 50 hours a week just to keep up with basic expenses, but it has taken a serious toll. Her health has significantly deteriorated, and her medical team has strongly advised her to reduce her workload to avoid further harm. She applied for disability benefits but was initially denied and is now in the middle of a long and uncertain appeals process.

Anna needs help covering daily living costs, medical expenses, including appointments, lab work, and prescriptions, travel for treatment, and costs related to an upcoming surgery.

Anna pours so much love and care into the people around her, even when she is completely drained and running on empty. Now, she needs that love returned.

Anything you’re able to give will go directly toward helping Anna get the care she desperately needs and finally have the chance to rest and heal– something she’s been fighting for so long to find. If you cannot donate, simply sharing her story means more than you know.

This is the kind of support that will allow her to reduce her workload without sacrificing her care. The goal of this fundraiser is not to pull Anna away from life; it’s to help her live it. To make her care sustainable, and give her the space to heal without worsening her condition, just to get by.

We’ll continue to share updates on Anna’s progress and how your support is making a difference. She spends countless hours researching, finding specialists, and advocating for herself in a system that often makes this journey incredibly difficult. She’s doing everything she can; this simply helps make the path forward less punishing.

Thank you for being here for her during such a difficult time– your support truly means the world.