Hi, I’m Meg. I’ve been facing some difficult medical complications lately and could really use some financial support for my family.

I gave birth to my second child in mid-March. During that pregnancy, I began having sporadic episodes of lethargy where my body would simply shut down. During these episodes, I cannot speak or move, and I often struggle to think or breathe clearly. I had hoped things would improve after delivery, but my body had other plans, and I recently began having seizures with these episodes.

I was recently diagnosed with FND (Functional Neurological Disorder) and PNES (Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures). Essentially, my brain has trouble sending and receiving signals correctly. On top of this, I manage POTS and hEDS. (I’ve explained all these diagnoses below).

These conditions make it incredibly difficult to care for myself, let alone a newborn. Thankfully, I can feel episodes and seizures approaching— which allows me to safely transition my baby to a crib before I lose mobility… but it is still a constant, exhausting struggle.

I haven't been able to work since the summer of 2024. I applied for disability benefits around that time, but the approval process is slow and incredibly difficult. My partner has recently returned to work, but after months without my income, we are facing a significant financial gap.

Current Medical Challenges:

* Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a disorder in which a person’s brain cannot properly send or receive signals. This can cause episodes (like what I experience) with non-epileptic seizures, limb weakness, tremors, paralysis, speech issues, fatigue, brain fog, memory issues, balance instability, etc..

* Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES) are seizures that are *not* caused by irregular electrical activity in the brain. Instead, they are caused by psychological factors. This does not mean they’re not real. They are very real, physical events that for me personally are caused by things like pain, eating after fasting, temperature changes, stress and adrenaline, motion (like car rides), etc.

* Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) is a connective tissue disorder caused by faulty collagen. This leads to chronic pain, joint instability, and gastrointestinal issues.

* Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a condition that is mainly characterized by a rapid increase of 30 (or more) beats per minute with postural changes. In other words, my heart rate increases very dramatically with positional changes. This causes me to feel faint and feel nauseous or get sick. POTS can also cause an inability to regulate temperature, gastrointestinal issues, brain fog, etc. ... POTS and hEDS are comorbid with one another.

To put it short & sweet: The combination of my disabilities, the inability to work, and the expenses of a new baby has created a lot of financial strain. We just need help getting over this bump in the road.

Anything helps! If you aren’t able to donate, sharing this link would mean so much to us. Thank you for taking the time to read our story!❤️