Still Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

I'm Still Finding GOD's Beauty in the Struggle

Three years ago, I was a normal, outgoing mom of three grown, beautiful children, working as a dental assistant—a job I loved and had done my whole life. Then out of nowhere, a massive curveball hit me. At 48 years old, with no prior eye conditions, I went totally blind within two weeks. Six months later, I had to have both of my eyes removed.

The Search for Answers

When my vision loss first happened, I initially went to the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) in Jackson, Mississippi. I underwent several surgeries and biopsies, and even had my eyes sewn shut for weeks at a time while receiving IV medications—all with still no results. That is when we transferred to UAB Callahan Eye Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, to see Dr. John Parker with Parker Cornea. There, I underwent a total of six cornea transplants, but every single one failed because my body actively attacked and rejected the donor grafts and implants. That was when doctors realized my body was rejecting the donor tissue itself. They performed further surgeries and biopsies that were sent to top research centers and pathologists all over the country, but still, no one could find an answer.

Hospitalization and Rehab

I thought that initial loss was the hardest part, but it was just the beginning. I just got home from spending five weeks hospitalized at UMMC in Jackson, Mississippi, including inpatient rehab therapy to learn how to walk again after a severe autoimmune crisis.

The Medical Mystery (A Medical "Zebra")

I am what the medical community calls a "zebra"—a patient with a rare, highly complex condition that takes a true village of specialists to figure out. Doctors now suspect my body is fighting an aggressive autoimmune disease—either Wegener’s Granulomatosis (GPA) or Relapsing Polychondritis. Because my blood work is seronegative, there are no standard antibody markers, making it extremely difficult to pinpoint on paper.

Physical Toll and Home Care

This illness attacks my deep tissue, collagen, and cartilage. It has caused disfigurement to my face, irreversible damage to my voice box, and lung damage called bronchiectasis, which causes me to struggle breathing at times. To manage all of this at home, I am currently undergoing home health care with a nurse, speech therapist for swallowing and voice box therapy, physical therapist, and occupational therapist. I also have to perform daily chest percussion therapy for my lungs, which takes up a tremendous amount of my time each week alongside my constant medical appointments.

Reconstructive Care & Complex Treatment

Down the road—likely two years or more after we can finally get this condition controlled—I will have to undergo extensive reconstructive surgeries. To make matters even more complicated, I am severely immunocompromised and cannot take standard autoimmune treatments like steroids or biologics at all. My team of doctors here in Mississippi is working endlessly to collect biopsies and run detailed pathology so we can coordinate care with a specialized team at UAB who treats these complex, multisystem conditions together.

The Financial Gap

Financially, my small fixed disability income of $1,649 per month puts me just slightly above the threshold to qualify for Mississippi state assistance or Medicaid. Even though I have cut every single household expense to the bare minimum, my fixed income simply cannot cover the mounting weight of specialist co-pays, heavy coinsurance, advanced pathology fees, and the travel costs to get to all of these appointments that I have. At this stage, my care is being funded entirely through community support and His grace.

Faith, Vision, and Gratitude

Through every heartbreak and physical trial, my anchor remains my Faith in Jesus Christ. This is not a story of hopelessness—it is a story of finding beauty in the struggle, trusting GOD day by day, and giving Him all the Praise and Glory.

> "I lost my sight, but GOD gave me vision."

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If you are able to donate, share this campaign, or lift my family up in Prayers, it means more than words can say. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and GOD bless you.