Hi, my name is Lisa Prezioso, I am fundraising for my incredible, creative, and vivacious daughter, Venetia (V).

On October 15th, the world we knew drastically changed. On that day, my 24-year-old daughter, V, was hospitalized and diagnosed with NMO (Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease that damages the brain and the spinal cord. NMO is a central nervous system disorder that causes inflammation in nerves of the eye and the spinal cord.

For Venetia, this has meant a sudden and heartbreaking loss of vision in her right eye, leaving her almost completely unable to see from it and extremely sensitive to both natural and artificial light. She was given an extremely high dose of steroids intravenously while hospitalized to attempt to bully the NMO out of her system but was given no guarantee that this would work. Instead, she was given a timeframe of 6 months to wake up every day wondering whether her vision impairment is a temporary or permanent way of life moving forward.

The sudden and unexpected diagnosis of MS has left us overwhelmed, frustrated and grieving as we embark on our new daily journey navigating an unknown future. The sudden onset of symptoms tied to her MS has had an immediate impact on her lifestyle, preventing her from returning to work as a bartender and server and pausing her studies at Scottsdale Community College where she’s pursuing an associate’s degree in visual communication.

Instead of following her dreams of becoming an entrepreneur and world traveler, she is applying for disability benefits, proactively researching MS, natural healing agents, navigating treatment options that she will have to take for the remainder of her life, and other financial assistance resources available.

The treatment she would like to begin next month is Ocrevus, an intravenous infusion given every 6 months, with an out-of-pocket cost of approximately $70,000 per treatment. At the time this is being written, her state funded insurance (AHCCCS) is currently challenging coverage for Ocrevus, so we don’t yet know if any portion will be covered. On top of that, her recent hospitalization has already left us with over $30,000 in medical bills, with uncertain coverage.

It is not easy to ask for help, but we’ve realized we can’t go through this alone. Your support helps lift the financial burden of treatment and provides V the chance to begin her Ocrevus therapy. Our goal of $30,000 will aid us in covering her medical expenses accrued to date, upcoming medical expenses, and her first Ocrevus treatment as we continue to navigate the unknown. Any donation, no matter the size, will make a profound difference.

If you are unable to donate, please consider sharing our story.

Thank you for your kindness, compassion, and support.

Lisa & Venetia