My baby sister, Piper, has had a rough year so far, to say the least. Early January, she caught the flu and strep, which brought on Henoch-Schönlein purpura, an autoimmune disorder that affects the blood vessels. She has hardly been able to walk from muscle pain, suffered from internal bleeding that's led to extreme stomach pain, and is covered in a horrible rash due to burst capillaries. A six-year-old girl who loves doing cartwheels and playing with her friends at school has been bedridden and hospitalized intermittently for a month.

Due to her illness, she has been admitted to her closest children's hospital, an hour and a half away from her home, several times. Heartbreakingly, every time she improves and gets to go home, she declines again and is brought back to her local hospital, transferred via ambulance, and admitted to the children's hospital once again. On top of medical bills and travel expenses, my parents have been unable to work. Anything would help.

I will update about Piper's progress. I hope there will be positive news to share very, very soon.