Help Vanessia Heal: A Journey Toward a Better Quality of Life
Hello, friends, family, and kind-hearted strangers,
We are reaching out to ask for your support in helping our beloved Vanessia regain the life she deserves. She has been battling debilitating seizures since she was 17 years old, following a severe reaction to medical treatments. After three brain surgeries, countless hospital stays, and years of struggle, we are now pursuing cutting-edge stem cell therapy and holistic treatments to support her healing journey.
Vanessia’s Story
Born on February 23, 1995, Vanessia was a strong, healthy, and vibrant child with a bright future ahead of her. She was athletic, an honor roll student, and passionate about acting. At just 17 years old, she was accepted into an acting school—ready to follow her dreams.
But everything changed when she received the Gardasil HPV vaccine at 13, triggering a severe autoimmune response. She was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and prescribed methotrexate, a drug meant to help. Instead, it led to unimaginable suffering.
One night, we woke up to Vanessia spinning in a circle, having her first grand mal seizure. We called 911.
Doctors ran tests and found high white blood cell counts, fevers, and headaches. They prescribed antibiotics but never scanned her head—missing what would turn out to be a life-threatening brain abscess.
By the time it was discovered, it had already caused severe damage to her left temporal lobe, leaving her with intractable epilepsy—a condition that still devastates her life today.
Fighting for Survival: Three Brain Surgeries and Multiple Hospitalizations
Since that fateful day, Vanessia has endured three brain surgeries, and her journey has been nothing short of a fight for survival.
- She has been intubated three times due to severe seizure episodes that left her unable to breathe on her own.
- In 2016, she underwent her first brain surgery, where doctors removed some scar tissue but feared removing too much could impact her ability to speak. While it helped, the seizures continued.
- In 2024, after years of failed medications, we found a new surgeon at Cedars-Sinai. In February, she underwent two more brain surgeries—one to clean up more scar tissue and one to implant an RNS device (a neurostimulator designed to help stop seizures).
- On February 27, 2024—she was wheeled into surgery for the third time.
Despite everything, Vanessia is still having seizures.
Doctors continue to push harsh medications that do little more than sedate her, robbing her of the joy and energy that define her spirit.
Anyone who knows Vanessia knows she is a salt-of-the-earth kind of girl—a yogi who loves nature and holistic healing. This isn’t the life she wants or deserves.
Our Next Step: Stem Cell Therapy
After extensive research, we have discovered that stem cell therapy has the potential to:
- Repair damaged brain tissue
- Reduce inflammation
- Improve neurological function
- Potentially reduce or eliminate seizures
This treatment could be life-changing, but insurance will not cover it. Medicare, Medicaid, and our ChampVA benefits do not cover alternative treatments, leaving us with a huge financial burden.
How You Can Help
- Donate: Any amount—big or small—brings us closer to getting Vanessia the treatment she desperately needs.
- Share: Please share Vanessia’s story with your friends, family, and social networks.
- Pray & Support: Your thoughts, prayers, and encouragement mean the world to us.
Vanessia Deserves a Life Without Pain
For those who know her, Vanessia is a bright light—a fighter, a dreamer, and a kind soul who wants nothing more than a chance at a better life.
We refuse to give up!
We will leave no stone unturned in our fight for her health and happiness.
Thank you for taking the time to read Vanessia’s story. We are grateful for your kindness, generosity, and prayers as we embark on this journey toward healing and hope.
God Bless, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.