Support Shaina's Life-Saving Transplant

Our beloved sister/friend/daughter/etc. Shaina has been diagnosed with two rare, potentially fatal diseases. She is fighting for her life and needs extremely costly medical help to win this fight. Please contribute however you can and keep her and her family in your prayers.

How it Started:

It all started at the end of 2023, a few months after my sister, Shaina Gonzalez Matthews, gave birth to a healthy, beautiful little girl. She started noticing some health concerns: moments of fatigue, headaches, black bruises appearing on her skin, extremely pale, etc. Having just given birth, she assumed these were harmless symptoms in the ever-long list of postnatal issues. But as these symptoms continued to occur, she knew it was best to at least get them checked out. If you know Shaina, you know she’s a vibrant lover of life. She lives her life to the fullest, chasing after every dream, riding horses, co-owning and running a business with her loving husband Malik, and raising three active children. She has always been the picture of health, so the assumption was that this would be easily explained and treated. When she went to see a couple of doctors, they confirmed that she was fine.

But as time continued, she became worse and worse until she was hardly able to get out of bed. Just rolling over caused her to lose her breath, and she felt as if she were dying. One day, she decided to run her own labs by getting an anemia panel. The lab called her the next morning and told her the results weren’t completely in yet, but she needed to rush to the ER because her blood levels were so low, she was at severe risk of spontaneous bleeding and death. After nine grueling days in the hospital where she underwent multiple tests, had over twelve blood transfusions and a bone marrow biopsy, they finally diagnosed her with two very rare blood diseases: PNH and Aplastic Anemia.

Watch this video to learn more about Shaina's past few months.

Diagnosis:

Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare, blood disorder characterized by the destruction of red blood cells. It affects the surface of red blood cells and makes them susceptible to destruction by the immune system, leading to severe anemia and an increased risk of blood clots. Only 1 to 2 people per million are impacted by PNH annually.

Severe Aplastic Anemia (SAA) is a condition where the bone marrow fails to produce enough blood cells leading to severe deficiencies in red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Again, only 1 to 2 people per million are impacted by SAA annually.

Where We’re At Now:

Unfortunately, being self-employed, they did not have insurance at the time of Shaina’s long hospital stay, which has left them with huge medical bills that continue pouring in. On top of that, the doctors hoped that a new medicine would help her manage the diseases, but the cost of the medication alone is $300,000 per infusion, which must occur every four to eight weeks for life. The medication helped initially, but unfortunately, her body has stopped responding in a significant way. Her vitals are continuing to drop and the infusions are no longer working.

Shaina has had 3 hospital visits every week since April and is transfusion-dependent, needing red blood cells or platelets weekly in order to stay alive. Unfortunately, with the rareness of these diseases, there are only a handful of specialists in the world who can help, one of whom works at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. Shaina and her husband Malik traveled from their home state of Arkansas to Baltimore to see the specialist for a consultation. Her doctors have recommended a bone marrow transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital as a critical step in her treatment and as her only chance at survival. This procedure involves:

• Replacement of Faulty Bone Marrow: Healthy stem cells from a donor will replace Shaina’s damaged bone marrow, helping restore normal blood cell production. During testing, the specialists discovered another abnormality in Shaina’s bone marrow cells that have the potential to transform into AML (Leukemia). The BMT should also get rid of this worry, as well.

• Complex Journey: The process includes pre-transplant evaluations, chemotherapy and full body radiation to wipe out her immune system before receiving donor bone marrow cells, the transplant itself, and extensive post-transplant care and recovery. The associated costs are significant and include medical expenses, relocation, and ongoing care.

There are many risks of complications and a risk of death by infection as a result of not having a way to fight germs. There is also a risk of GVHD (Graft-Versus-Host-Disease), which the doctors hope to keep away with lots of medications for the following six months, at least. Shaina will need a caregiver 24/7 during this traumatic time, and as much as her husband wants to be that person, they cannot leave the kids away from both parents for 70 plus days. Because there are no doctors near Arkansas who have experience with doing transplants for these specific diseases, she is also seeing a specialist that is not in-network. This is her only option at a healthy life, as the risk of death is much higher to be treated by someone in-network who has no experience.

As of now, the biggest battles that are currently standing before us include getting it approved by insurance for out-of-state coverage, as well as timing. There is a huge sense of urgency to get this procedure done as soon as possible. The more blood transfusions that Shaina receives, the more antibodies her body creates, which will impact her bodies’ ability to receive donor cells. We are hoping that this procedure is approved by insurance so that Shaina can get her bone marrow transplant in 3 weeks.

This is where you come in. We need a miracle, prayers, and financial support.

Your support can make a world of difference. 100% of donations will help cover:

• Medical Costs: Expenses for doctors’ visits, specialty tests, medications (which won’t be covered by insurance), transplant, hospital stay, and follow-up care. Shaina currently has 170k in outstanding hospital bills to be paid for out-of-pocket. There will also be an 8k deductible for out-of-network coverage.

• Relocation: Costs for moving and temporary living arrangements near Johns Hopkins. The cheapest Airbnb near the hospital will be around ~10k for 2 months. Funds will also cover flights back and forth for the donor and donor caregiver, Malik and any other caregivers who will take turns visiting and watching over her, rent for the stay, 2 months of car rental in Baltimore, food for Shaina and her husband and kids staying in Arkansas, etc.

• Daily Living Expenses: Shaina will not be able to work for a few months after her transplant, so funds will support Shaina and her family with everyday needs so they can focus on her recovery. Her eldest son, Zaid, is already in need of therapy to process all the changes that have been happening. Even though he is just a kid, he understands how dire this situation is. Watching his mom fight for her life the past few months has been heartbreaking and all of Shaina’s children (aged 1, 6 and 8) deserve all the love and support possible.

*Any and all additional funds raised and not used will be donated to AA/MDS foundations and programs for rare blood disorder research. Shaina has vowed that when she makes it through this difficult time, she will make it her life mission to help others going through similar journeys.

Any help is appreciated, no matter the amount. Even one dollar can make a difference; and if you can’t give financially, we ask for your prayers and for you to share this on your social media pages. This has been one of the hardest tragedies to strike our family, and we would be so grateful for any assistance during this time.

We covet your prayers that the doctors would be given strength and grace to perform the risky transplant and that the long recovery process would go well. We know God is good and will provide, but we also know we have some wonderful friends and family who God can use to bless the Matthews and show them His love in this dark time.

Thank you for your generosity and support.

-Adrianna King (Shaina's sister) & Leanna Carr (Shaina's friend)

*this fundraiser is organized by Shaina's family and closest friends and will be updated regularly. The initial goal amount only covers a fraction of the costs, but it's a start. We're hoping to reach this goal before Shaina's bone marrow transplant and relocation so that she can go through treatment without any worries. The goal amount may be raised in the future.