Tammys Medical Fund for Mayo Clinic

Tammy needs our help and she needs it now! Tammy has helped so many of us who needed it throughout the years and now it’s her turn to get back what she has given so many of us who suffer with Lupus. 

Many people do not know what Lupus is so I request that you please visit www.lupus.org  in order to try and understand this autoimmune disease. You see when you "get" Lupus you just don't get the many complications of Lupus but it also gives you other autoimmune diseases like Psoriatic Arthritis, Sjogrens Syndrome to name a few, which Tammy has ALL of these. Lupus also increases our odds of Cancer by 15%, Tammy has Bone Marrow Cancer too. Lupus causes heart complications, Tammy has had 2 heart attacks and 2 stents as well as heart valve damage. Lupus causes inflammation that can affect any part of your body, Tammy has had such inflammation of her spine she has had 4 spinal surgeries and currently needs another surgery to fix more fractured discs. Tammy also Cushing Syndrome, Diabetes, Pulmonary hypertension, gastroparesis, interstitial cystitis and interstitial lung disease. Yes this is one person, Tammy, living with all this and now her liver is failing. 

This is the day in the life of a Lupus Fighter... and this is why she now needs our help. When I was trying to figure out the words to write for this plea for donations I asked Tammy's sons to write something for me to help me find something to post in order to try and get her the donations so she can go to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota as her Oncologist and liver transplant team in UMMC insist she does to try and save her life. As I read what her sons wrote for the literally 25th time I can't pick just 1 or 2 things so I am posting the entire letter to me. Once you read it you will understand why. 

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Dear Ms. Carrie,

I wanted to take this chance to thank you for all that you are doing for my mom.  Though we don’t always see eye to eye, she means the world to me and her current condition has me worried.  Who wouldn’t be though in this situation?  I am grateful to not only you, but to all of you whom she calls her “butterflies”.  You have brought her joy and camaraderie when I was not at home to do so and have helped keep her sane, or at least as sane as possible for her.  
Here is a little about the situation.

With her extravagant repertoire of illnesses and disabilities, Tammy Chamblee somehow maintains a cheery disposition and takes it all in stride.  Some might consider her to be a role model of how brave someone, who has so much wrong, can be and still face the world saying, “Bring it on!” like she does.  Bravery is only scratching the surface though.  Kind, loving, weird, quirky, patient, and a little bit of insanity sprinkled on top, are all attributes that make up the person you and I know as Tammy.  She might be lacking in height, but she more than makes up for that with unprecedented tenacity, love, and a willingness to fight back against the odds.  For everything that she is, a quitter is not one of them.  While I am not the bragging type, I would gladly brag about my mom any day of the week.  So with that said, I would like to ask a favor should you wish to indulge me.  Help me help out my mom and get her the treatment and care she needs as well as deserves.  She is not one to accept charity and would rather give than receive.  Being this way however, I think it is time that she received a little bit of assistance.  I thank you not only on behalf of me, Devin Carter (her son), but also on behalf of her other child (Kyle Carter), husband (Brian Chamblee), and anyone else that loves or cares about her.  Despite having been treated by multiple specialists for many years, and being disabled since 2008, her organs are now failing.  Her oncologist and the liver transplant team at UMMC, feel that she would benefit greatly by being evaluated at Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota.  Unfortunately, her physicians in Mississippi are currently at a loss with her condition deteriorating daily, which is why they have recommended the trip to Mayo.  It is imperative that she can get to the clinic and we need your help to do so.  Lodging, travel, and meals will be expensive and due to all of her illnesses, she cannot fly to the clinic and must make the sixteen-hour drive to get there in a rental car as her vehicle is not reliable enough to make the trip.  Mayo has indicated that she could potentially be there for a minimum of fourteen days, possibly admitted for an extensive stay.  There is also a chance that this will not be a onetime endeavor, as she may have to return for additional testing or procedures.  Her husband, Brian, has limited vacation pay and will be taking her to Mayo and staying with her for the duration of the visit.  Her condition is considered life threatening due to multiple organ involvement.  With your help, hopefully some of her pains may be eased and she can worry less about how to take care of a failing liver, bone marrow cancer, lupus, psoriatic arthritis, Sjogrens syndrome, Cushing’s syndrome, diabetes, pulmonary hypertension, heart complications (two heart attacks as well as two stents and heart valve damage), gastroparesis, interstitial cystitis, interstitial lung disease, multiple spine complications (four spine surgeries and currently needs another to fix more fractured disks), multiple autoimmune diseases (which have worsened significantly), and focus more on living the rest of her life comfortably with her family.  She is currently being told that she could require a liver transplant, but may not even qualify due to her various illnesses. She is also undergoing chemotherapy for the aforementioned bone marrow cancer.  As I stated before, Tammy Chamblee is not the kind of person that would ask for something as significant as this under any normal circumstances.  This is however, not a normal circumstance, and her family and friends are the ones reaching out so that she might get the help she deserves and desperately needs.  With everything happening the way it has, the skies are looking pretty gray.  We all need our Sunshine to make us happy and I never want my Sunshine to go away.  I cannot imagine a world worth being in that is gray without my mom “Sunshine”.

I hope this helps you understand the complexity of my mom’s situation and please feel free to add any additional information you see fit.  Her butterflies mean the world to her and by doing this for her, you mean the world to me.  Our pretty pretty princess means everything to us.
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Please find it in your heart to donate anything at all. $1.00, $5.00, $10.00 or $100.00 every penny counts. Please also share, share, share... we need to get the word out.... and finally please send Tammy your prayers, mojo, good vibes or fairy dust and please reach out and tell her you are thinking of her,