Hi, I am Billie Comeaux from American Factory Direct. Our dear family friend's daughter, Elaina Faler, has been struggling with mold toxicity and secondary MCAS. We believe in supporting our community, especially during life’s hardest moments.

We are honored to stand alongside Elaina and her family as she courageously battles ongoing health challenges. We are using our platform to help raise awareness and support for her medical journey.

We invite our friends and community to join us in lifting Elaina up through prayers, sharing her story, and, if you’re able, contributing to her GoFundMe.

Together, we can make a meaningful difference.

Follow along below for her full journey...

In July 2025, just weeks before starting her freshman year at the University of Alabama, Elaina’s life took an unexpected turn. What should have been one of the most exciting seasons of her life quickly became a fight for her health.

Almost overnight, her body began rejecting food. Between July and December, she lost 45 pounds. At one point, the only thing she could get down was water. Every attempt to eat triggered severe reactions: intense stomach pain, facial flushing, difficulty breathing, and even periods of unresponsiveness.

There were days she couldn’t stand. Her parents had to help carry her to the bathroom, around the house, and to medical appointments because her body simply could not support her.

She was eventually diagnosed with Secondary Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). With daily antihistamines, she can now tolerate about 10 foods, but without them, she goes back to none.

While most freshmen were adjusting to college life, Elaina was fighting for her life. Simple daily tasks became harder and harder. She passed out multiple times in her chemistry lab, sometimes for extended periods. Even environments like church became overwhelming. Lights and noise could trigger episodes where her body would begin to shut down, leaving her unable to feel her extremities, her face numb, and struggling to breathe.

And yet, even in the middle of this, Elaina persevered. She completed her first semester on the President’s List with all A’s, a reflection of her determination and strength.

But as her condition worsened, she had no choice but to come home and take a medical leave.

Since then, another kind of loss has quietly unfolded.

Her life has been put on pause.

The friendships, independence, and college experiences she had just begun building continue on without her. While her peers move forward, Elaina has, in many ways, been pulled out of her own life, watching from the outside.

And still, she continues to fight.

Her faith has become her foundation! Anchoring her in hope and giving her strength day after day, even in the hardest moments, she knows that beautiful things can come out of difficult situations. She is inspired to reach out to others in hope that her story can help someone else in their difficulties. Elaina has always found joy in the kitchen, and she refused to let her illness take that from her. She continues to create recipes for highly sensitive individuals and is working on her cookbook, Elaina’s Gentle Kitchen. Cooking for her family and friends still fills her heart as she watches them enjoy her creations.

In December, her family discovered a major piece of what had been causing her rapid decline.

One night, her dad felt led to check the air vents in their home. That led him to the attic, where they discovered black mold growing, including on the other side of Elaina’s bedroom wall. She had been breathing it in for a few years.

While others in the family were affected, Elaina’s body reacted in a far more severe and debilitating way.

And just like mold in a home continues to spread if left untreated, the same is happening inside her body. Testing has confirmed that the mold illness is still progressing, making this situation urgent. Without proper treatment, her condition will continue to worsen.

Since then, their lives have been completely turned upside down.

They have had to leave their home and are currently living with friends. They are incredibly grateful for the love and support they’ve received, but the financial burden has been overwhelming, including:

• Ongoing medical expenses

• Detox treatments and medications

• Out-of-network specialists not covered by insurance

Each step toward healing comes at a significant cost.

Being connected with a specialist at Tulane for her MCAS has been a blessing, but it is only part of the solution. The mold illness still needs to be aggressively treated.

After extensive searching and consultations, Elaina will be under the care of Dr. Grossgold, MD, PhD. His practice is located in Clearwater, Florida. He is a physician experienced in complex chronic illness, including mold toxicity and mast cell activation disorders. He is known for taking a comprehensive, patient-centered approach, focusing on identifying root causes, supporting detoxification pathways, and carefully rebuilding tolerance in highly sensitive patients. His experience working with individuals who have severe reactivity brings hope that Elaina is finally on a path toward healing. This treatment is highly individualized, with daily adjustments based on her body’s responses. Something she critically needs, given her sensitivities.

This is a time-sensitive opportunity for real healing.

Her treatment will require daily, in-clinic care for up to 12 weeks. The goal is to raise $100,000 to cover:

• Daily medical treatment and tests.

• A fully customized care plan

• Travel expenses

All funds will go directly toward Elaina’s treatment. If any funds remain, they will be used to help another patient receive care.

Elaina has shown incredible resilience, strength, and faith, but she cannot do this alone.

If you feel led to give, no amount is too small. And if you’re unable to donate, sharing her story would mean more than you know.

Every prayer, every share, and every contribution brings her one step closer to healing and back to the life she was just beginning.

Thank you for being part of Elaina’s journey.