Hi, Im Kasper and My aunt Cryssy is preparing for a medically necessary, life - altering 50/50 surgery in Chicago.

This surgery is not elective. It is not cosmetic. It is not something she has chosen lightly. It is something she must do because her body has reached a point where continuing as she is is no longer safe.

For years now, my aunt has been surviving instead of living waking up every day inside a body that feels unpredictable, painful, and frightening. This surgery is her chance to step out of constant crisis and into the possibility of stability, healing, and life again.

This journey didn’t begin suddenly.

In 2020, my Aunt Cryssy experienced her first bowel obstruction, a terrifying medical emergency that marked the beginning of years of escalating complications. Since then, her health has steadily unraveled, taking pieces of her independence, mobility, and quality of life with it.

By 2023, everything worsened. Cryssy developed a hernia that has continued to grow significantly. Her intestines are no longer stable as they are essentially floating, meaning they can kink at any time and cause another bowel obstruction. This places her at constant risk of an urgent, life - threatening emergency. She lives every single day with that fear.

Alongside this, Cryssy suffers from severe abdominal swelling and chronic lymphedema that never fully goes away. The constant fluid retention, pressure, and inflammation cause daily pain, limit her ability to move, and even affect her breathing. She requires 2 liters of oxygen at night.

There is no “good day” where this disappears. There is no pause button on this body.

Because of these complications, Cryssy must travel back and forth to Chicago for extensive testing and monitoring in the months leading up to surgery. Once the surgery happens, returning home will not be possible.

Cryssy will need to remain in Chicago for at least three to four months, possibly longer, close to Northwestern Hospital, so she can recover safely under medical supervision. Living six hours away in Traverse City or attempting repeated long drives is medically unsafe. After past surgeries, Cryssy experienced severe complications and was hospitalized for 21 days in 2023. If another emergency occurs, she must be seen immediately.

Travel itself is dangerous for her. Sitting upright for extended periods causes severe swelling and fluid buildup in her legs and abdomen, worsening her breathing and stability. She cannot buckle safely in a car for long stretches of time this travel is laying down in the back of her van. Traveling home after surgery is not an option.

My Uncle Kevin has been her constant support through all of this. He is loving, devoted, and has carried more than anyone ever should. But he works full time and cannot repeatedly leave work to travel back and forth to Chicago. This makes safe, accessible, short-term housing near the hospital absolutely essential so Cryssy can focus on healing instead of survival.

This surgery is about far more than my aunt’s physical body. Cryssy misses life. She misses independence. She misses working with people, contributing, making plans, and existing without fear of her body failing her.

She hates that Kevin has had to become her caregiver when that was never how their life together was meant to be. She grieves the version of herself who could move freely and live without constant medical crisis. Asking for financial help is incredibly hard for her and carries deep shame but the truth is, she cannot do this alone.

Cryssy will undergo two major surgeries in one day: a hernia repair and a sleeve weight - loss surgery. This is her chance to stabilize her body, reduce life - threatening complications, and finally move toward a future where living is possible again.

The cost of short - term housing in Chicago, travel, medical - related expenses, and basic living needs during recovery is far beyond what she can manage on her own.

This fundraiser will help cover:

• Travel for required medical appointments

• Post - Surgical recovery needs and medical essentials

• Support for a stay - in caregiver

• Basic housing necessities

• Occasional groceries during recovery

Every donation, every share, and every kind word helps carry my Aunt Cryssy through the hardest transition of her life, from the body she has been surviving in, into the body she is fighting to heal into.

If you’re unable to donate, sharing this fundraiser means just as much. Visibility saves lives too.

Thank you for seeing my aunt not as a diagnosis, but as a human being who still deserves safety, dignity, and a future.

With love and gratitude,

Kasper ❤️‍