to know erica and collin is to know how big their hearts are, and how unwavering their support for / commitment to their community is. i can confidently say that i *know* these two continue to make a lasting and wildly meaningful impact on anyone they cross paths with, and right now, they could really use the financial support from their community during a very difficult time in their lives.

also, hi! some of you may not know me, but my name is haley and i'm erica's best friend.

over the last 6 months, they have been faced with many overwhelming emergency expenses concerning their health & home. i wanted to step in to make this gofundme, to help raise some $$ to help alleviate some of the massive stressors they are facing right now.

late last summer, erica received lab reports showing dangerously high levels of ochratoxin A, a dangerous mycotoxin produced by mold spores often found in water damaged buildings, in her body. erica had been navigating many mysterious recent health issues to no avail & these results connected the dots to her recently diagnosed health concerns.

following those results erica had to leave her home as it was unsafe for her to live given her current health issues & collin stayed back to start the very tedious & expensive process of remediation.

collin & erica had their home tested for toxic mold (mycotoxins) via an ERMI test & the results were alarming. it was very clear at this time where the mycotoxin exposure was coming from, the roof above their bedroom where they have slept for the last 3 years.

to read more about the life threatening effects of mycotoxins read this scientific article here

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC164220/

mold was just the tip of the iceberg - the cost of treating mycotoxin exposure is completely out-of-pocket expenses that have continued to add up over the months. unfortunately, the allopathic medical world nor insurance treat mycotoxin exposure or cover the testing for mycotoxicity as it is very complex & symptoms differ from person to person.

erica & collin are currently working with an amazing specialist in central Illinois to treat & heal their bodies from the damage done from being chronically exposed to toxic mold in there home, this too is paid out-of-pocket.

just this last week, collin had to undergo emergency surgery which happened on the same day erica had a scheduled surgery of her cervix

while in the OR, collin's operation escalated from a minorly invasive laparoscopic appendectomy to a majorly invasive surgery for "possibly the worst case of appendicitis ever seen" - according to his pathologist & surgeon. after removing collin's appendix, part of his colon & part of his small intestine which had become narcotic, he is unable to work or lift more than 15lbs for a minimum of 6 weeks.

additionally, collin & erica have been hit with thousands of dollars in car repairs - the timing couldn't be worse.

with collin unable to work, erica is the primary source of income & care for him on his long road of recovery from not only his recent "major surgery" but also in continuing to attain specialized care for both of them to heal from toxic mold, the remediation of their home & occurring auto repair expenses to ensure they have a reliable means of transportation & any surprise medical expenses they may receive from collin's multi-day hospital stay, ER visit & surgery.

collin & erica have experienced an overwhelming amount of love from their community asking how they can be supported at this time & have realized that beyond the love & care of their community, financial support is what feels best at this time to relieve the stress of the compounding curve balls life is throwing their way.

thank you in advance to all the incredible humans who are showing up for these two, if you don't have the $$ means to share at this time, sharing this is equally as supportive.

thank you <3