Support for Medical Bills and Autoimmune Disease Treatment

About Deborah:

I was raised as an inner city kid whose dream was to help people. I grew up seeing violence, poverty, and destitution all around me, and it was normal. I know it was a bad situation and that the people I knew and loved were hurting, and that's what first prompted me to want to help. My parents (an early childhood educator and a chef), we're always willing to help anyone they thought needed it, no matter how bad our own situation was. So I followed in their footsteps. I was the first in my family to attend university, I studied Psychology, Social Anthropology, and Criminology, and I worked hard throughout Uni to graduate without student loans cause we couldn't even qualify for those.

I volunteered at my local hospital and animal shelters, I partenerd with Social Intervention services in my community, and I've been working in Customer Service, Human Resources & Payroll, Construction, Non Profit Organizations and Social Development and Intervention.

Up until recently, I was even a Social Worker employed by my local government. But then I got sick. I'll preface this by saying was always a sickly kid. Bronchitis, eczema, allergies, pcos, and endometriosis are only some of the things I've been dealing with since childhood. But I've always managed my symptoms so it wouldn't stop me from achieving my goals. This time however, was different.

It started in 2021 after I got Covid. My tests came back weird, so I was recommended to specialist after specialists until a Rheumatogist diagnosed me in February of this year with 2 Autoimmune diseases, that i could manage through medication. In May however, I started loosing my ability to walk. First I was leaning on walls, then I switched to a walker, and I'm now in a wheelchair as if August 2024.

Last week, after visiting my Rheumatogist, my last set of blood tests were reviewed. That, combined with my rapid onset of partial paralysis, was what landed me in the hospital this past Thursday. I'm now being kept for observation, while the hospital Neurology team test me for 2 potential Nervous system autoimmune disorders: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). I'm in need of a Lumber puncture (spinal tap), Brain MRI and Brain CT scan. And this is where I need your help.

As my health declined, my work contract was terminated, as I wasn't healthy enough to complete a lot of my work duties, which included travelling all around my country.

And I've burned through my savings on blood tests and Spinal MRIs performed earlier this year that lead to my previous diagnosis. A lot of these tests can't even be performed in my country, so they will be sent overseas in hopes of figuring out what's wrong with me in time to save the mobility I have left.

With all the procedures and tests I'm going to need, it's going to cost at little over $4400 USD in total.

So please, no matter how little you can spare, please help me get back on my feet, so that I can continue my dream of helping others. Your kindness is appreciated!