If you know Marissa, you know how much she gives to everyone around her. She’s incredibly selfless and the best aunt to her three nephews. She cares so much about the people in her life.

Right now, she’s the one who needs our support.

Marissa was recently diagnosed with two serious chronic autoimmune conditions: systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis, which means the lupus is already affecting her kidneys. Her doctors have been clear that this is serious and needs immediate treatment and close monitoring going forward.

This diagnosis is already changing a lot of her day-to-day life. Her immune system is weakened, which makes it harder for her to fight off illness. Because she works closely with young children as an SLP, she may not be able to continue working in the same way, which puts her income at risk.

Marissa was recently hospitalized for a week and during that time, she couldn’t work and didn’t get paid. She has already incurred thousands of dollars in medical bills that her insurance will not fully cover. Moving forward, any time she will need to take off for her health will likely be unpaid, which adds another layer of stress to her already difficult situation.

She is also facing ongoing medical care, frequent testing, and long-term treatments, with costs that add up really quickly, especially with medications that can cost thousands each month.

This unexpected diagnosis has brought a significant and ongoing financial burden for Marissa.

This GoFundMe for Marissa will help cover:

While Marissa will apply for any available assistance, there's still a big gap during a time that is already extremely overwhelming.

If you’re able to donate, any amount will help ease the financial stress so Marissa can focus on her health. If you’re not able to give, sharing this or keeping her in your thoughts and prayers means just as much.

She’s handling all of this with a lot of strength, even on the hard days. We just want to show up for her the way she’s always shown up for us.

With gratitude,

The Lazar Family