Support Kaitlyn's Quest for Independence

Hello!

My name is Kaitlyn and I am hoping to raise funds for a wheelchair for myself. I suffer from a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a disease that means my joints dislocate and my connective tissue has a hard time holding my body together.

This has caused chronic inflammation throughout my body, making it hard to do things like walk, stand, bend over, and complete general household tasks. I want to be able to go for grocery runs without being incapacitated for the rest of the day, and a wheelchair would give me that freedom.

In November of 2022, I experienced complete renal failure and was admitted to the hospital a week before thanksgiving. The doctors had no idea why my kidneys had shut down and didn't know if they would recover, either. I had a kidney biopsy taken about halfway through my hospital stay, where it was concluded that I had developed acute kidney failure due to an allergic reaction from my anti inflammatory medication, and that I could no longer utilize any medications in the drug class. This has left my inflammation much less controlled aside from holistic approaches such as anti inflammatory diets and turmeric supplements.

I also suffer from POTS, meaning my blood pressure is not regulated by my nervous system. When I stand for too long, stand up too quickly, laugh too hard, etc and my blood pressure drops, my heart rate spikes and I get dizzy or faint.

My service dog, Dune, has been trained to detect my heart rate spikes so I can prepare accordingly as well as retrieving my medications and water for me as I need it.

The wheelchair estimate I was given was about $3,000USD to get something tailored to my needs. This means power assistance for a push wheelchair (think of an electric powered bike) in addition to a lightweight frame that I can disassemble easily and without the assistance of others. I will also be getting an attachment to my wheelchair specifically for holding my cane, so if I need to stand up or move around, I will still have proper support.

My biggest goal is to get a wheelchair regardless of if my insurance will cover it so I can live as close to a normal 21 year old life as possible. My insurance likely will not cover the cost of my chair as I will not need it full time, but I am hopeful I will find another way to pay for it between this and my work from home job.

Thank you for reading! :)