My name is Luz, and asking for help is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. When I was 25 years old, I was diagnosed with severe Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Cyclical vomiting. What started as occasional stomach problems quickly turned into years of painful flare-ups, hospital visits, and symptoms that make it impossible to live a normal life. I often experience extreme abdominal pain and episodes of cyclical vomiting that leave me physically exhausted and unable to function.

For years, I have tried to keep working despite being sick because I never wanted to be a burden on anyone. Unfortunately, my illness kept worsening, and I eventually began losing jobs because my body simply couldn’t keep up anymore. I started a new job February 17th that I have now lost. Right now, I am in the process of pursuing disability due to my medical condition, but anyone who has gone through this process knows it can take a long time, as I've been denied 3 times. In the meantime, the financial stress has become overwhelming.

I live in the home that my mother, myself and fiancé share, and we have been struggling to keep up with bills while I deal with ongoing medical issues. My mother is retired and my fiancé works hard and contributes what he can, and I use food assistance to help provide groceries, but it still hasn’t been enough to keep everything stable. Living with IBD is not just physically painful. It is emotionally exhausting. I am up many nights crying from the pain, wondering how I will make it through the next day.

I am creating this fundraiser to help cover basic household bills and medical related costs while I continue fighting for my health and waiting for disability support. Any help, no matter how small, would mean more than I can express. Even sharing this page would help tremendously. Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read my story and support me during one of the most difficult periods of my life.