Tiara Bass Medical Treatment Fund

The story so far…

For most of her life, my friend Tiara has experienced difficulties with her overall health from various inherited genetic and autoimmune conditions. Over the last decade, the symptoms of these conditions have greatly intensified, and her health has been in steady decline. Tiara has been corralled through a turnstile of doctors, specialists, and treatments that have largely been hit or miss in diagnosing or providing treatment options. Due to the complexities of identifying the exact source of this disease, it is increasingly difficult to test, treat, or diagnose what continues to cause the deterioration of Tiara’s health.

Without viable long-term treatment, infections have developed and worsened over time in her digestive tract. The treatments and antibiotics have been designed to slow the growth of these infections but have strained the other vital organs that assist with fighting infections. Not only are these infections locally painful, but drastically decrease mental, physical, and overall energy levels. This condition has left Tiara both unable to eat many foods that provide essential nutrients and have kept her from enjoying many of her favorite foods for many years now.

Despite her health conditions continuing to develop and worsen over the last decade, Tiara has a boundless creativity that expresses itself through her passion for sewing, and an especially tenacious appreciation for the outdoors and life itself. Although her outdoor adventures have become less frequent, Tiara especially enjoys going on hikes and either being in the water swimming, or on top of it in a kayak or on a paddleboard. While allowing Tiara to pursue her passions in a limited capacity, current treatments were explicitly only meant to serve as a stopgap amid testing while new and alternative treatments with more permanent results have come under review.

Fortunately, an opportunity for a more permanent and lasting treatment has become available and been recommended but comes with a few caveats. The facility administering the treatment requires long distance travel to participate, and separate lodging arrangements will be required for almost three weeks as the treatment is on an outpatient basis. The treatment is also one that is not covered in any part by health insurance and must be paid in full out of pocket at the patient’s expense. Most crucially, this treatment is the last available option for improving Tiara’s health before current temporary measures are no longer viable, and as such it’s importance can’t be overstated. Without this treatment, her current health in its fragile state will continue to critically decline, and many ways is now the “last stand at the Alamo.”

The success of the treatment is a chance to allow Tiara to resume eating the foods she loves, return to more regularly enjoying her various indoor and outdoor hobbies, and regain a stable baseline of health she has not been able to enjoy in years. This is where she needs your help!

The ask…

We’re seeking to raise $10,000 to cover the costs of the treatment and travel expenses described above.

For those of you know don’t personally know Tiara, she’s the type of person that believes in making her own way in all things. The reality is that while this treatment is no different in that regard, there are a few factors that are important to understand why she’s unable to make the bill on her own this time specifically. All prior tests and treatments explored to date (save for only one other previous gofundme) have been paid by Tiara out of her own pocket. This means for the better part of the last decade, she has minimalized or sidelined many interests, personal goals, and social engagements she would otherwise pursue to maintain even meager health.

Tiara has also lived most of her adult life separated from the stability of many support systems that the rest of us often take for granted. Because of her strong self-reliance she’s developed over the years as a result, it’s been challenging for someone as truly humble as Tiara is to ask for financial assistance. It’s also why I agreed to help with organizing a fundraiser on her behalf as soon as I found out about this upcoming treatment. Tiara has also requested that all donations be anonymous which is also why I’m managing the fundraiser on her behalf.

As long as I’ve known Tiara, she’s the type that goes out of her way to help others while striving not to be an inconvenience. Especially as this treatment is one of the best and last options, Tiara is grateful in advance for your support. Thank you for any additional help you’re able to offer in helping to make this fundraiser a success, and for your considerations for helping one of the most selfless souls I know.