My name is Makenna, and I am asking for help for my mom, Barbie, and my sister, Mya. Mya is twenty years old and has been sick her whole life. She has been in and out of the hospital since she was six days old. She has had type one diabetes for eleven years, syringomyelia diagnosed at one year old, which causes chronic pain, and most recently, she was diagnosed with gastroparesis, which she has been battling for four years. As you can imagine, these issues have also caused her severe anxiety and depression. So far, her life has been filled with pain, hospital visits, fear, needles, tubes, wires, and sadness.

During all of this, my mom, a single mother on disability, who suffers from many autoimmune issues, Multiple Sclerosis causing the most grief for her. Even with my mom's physical health issues, my sister's health issues, and taking care of many cats and dogs, some of which are old and require special care, my mom still works to make ends meet. My mom is never one to rest; she works 7 days a week and always makes sure her kids and pets are well cared for. Unfortunately, she does everything alone.

So far this year, my sister has been in the hospital for thirty-six days; the past year, she was hospitalized for over one hundred days. During her most recent hospitalization, she has had eighteen IVs, three feeding tubes, multiple different meds pumped in her, many diagnostics run, bloodwork done daily, increased anxiety, loss of social interaction, and homesickness. Most of her stay, she has been in severe stomach pain with some of the strongest pain meds not helping, and she is unable to keep any food down. During this time, my sister has been scared, sad, and has had panic attacks. Understandably, she does not want to be alone, which has made it difficult for my mom to work and bring in any money. My mom is currently behind on all her utilities, and there is a high chance her electricity will be shut off soon. The gas money from going back and forth to the hospital and home has also made a huge dent in her finances since Mya was in Indianapolis at the beginning of the year. And the most important thing, Mya needs to get to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. That visit will be very expensive, and I hate that my mom has to worry about the finances when she is also sad and scared. Any help would be appreciated right now, even if all you can do is share our story.

A little about Mya when she is not in the hospital or feeling sick. Mya loves spending time with friends, family, and her pets. She is one of the funniest people I know, always cracking jokes. She currently enjoys watching Vanderpump Rules, the color purple, and drawing. She would love to attend school, work, and live a normal life. Her goal is to be a phlebotomist one day, marry her high school sweetheart, and become a mom. Mya goes above and beyond for everyone she loves and deserves to get better.