Hello, and God bless you! We are Keith and Teresa, and we are starting this fundraiser for Teresa's niece, Chelsey. She needs some financial support for specialized treatment for some rare and debilitating physical challenges. The conditions Chelsey has have been worsening over time, and she is no longer able to work full time, which means she has no health insurance. Chelsey is a very loving, kind, and generous person, and she has two children to care for.  The amount we are asking for is to cover expenses for a two-week treatment program at a specialized clinic in Tennessee. Here is a brief summary of Chelsey's story:

For the  past twelve years, Chelsey has been plagued by some very serious health challenges. She has been diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), which is a disease that weakens the connective tissues of your body. These are things like tendons and ligaments that hold parts of your body together. EDS can make your joints loose and your skin thin and easily bruised. It also can weaken blood vessels and organs. In addition to that, she has Chiari Malformation (CM), which is a structural abnormality in the relationship of the skull and the brain. This means that the skull is small or misshapen, causing it to press on the brain at the base of the skull. It can cause brain tissue to extend into the spinal canal.

These conditions have impacted Chelsey's life in a very negative way, and have reduced the quality of her daily life. She has many other health challenges that stem from these main conditions as well. One huge issue is that she is unable to eat solid foods and has been on a liquid diet for more than four years. Recently, some of the nutrition drinks she has mainly been sustained by have now begun to upset her stomach and she is no longer able to drink them. Some of her doctors can hardly believe that she is still alive in light of the limited choices she has for nutrition.

Over the past several weeks, Chelsey has been experiencing bouts of very low blood pressure. This has understandably made her feel very weak.  A recent visit to a hospital emergency room ended with a diagnosis of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which is a condition that affects circulation (blood flow). It involves the autonomic nervous system (which automatically controls and regulates vital bodily functions) and sympathetic nervous system (which activates the fight or flight response).

POTS is a form of orthostatic intolerance, and the symptoms come on when standing up from a reclining position, which may be relieved by sitting or lying back down (although when she lies down her blood pressure bottoms out). A person's heart rate and blood pressure usually work together to keep the blood flowing at a healthy pace, no matter what position the body is in. But people with POTS cannot coordinate the balancing act of blood vessel squeeze and heart rate response. This means the blood pressure cannot be kept steady and stable.

Chelsey and her mother (Teresa's sister) are traveling to Tennessee and will be there for the next two weeks seeking treatment at a world-renowned specialized chronic illness center that focuses on and treats people with POTS, as well as EDS and a number of other conditions. They have to stay in a local hotel and cover meals and expenses during that two-week period, in addition to the cost of the treatment for Chelsey, which as you can imagine is very expensive. This is a very unexpected development and is putting a huge financial strain on their family.

We are believing to help relieve some of that financial strain by starting this fundraiser.  As God  is our witness, it is an entirely legitimate and no b.s. fundraiser. Chelsey has a genuine and urgent need for our support. We are reaching out to you in the belief that you can help us in this endeavor. We know that we are stronger together than we are alone. We truly appreciate your taking the time to read Chelsey's story, and we are ever so thankful for any financial support you can give, and for keeping Chelsey in your prayers. We are believing that God will bless you abundantly for your cheerful giving! Please feel free to share the link to this fundraiser with as many people as you'd like! :) 

II Corinthians 8:14:
But by an equality; that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality.

II Corinthians 9:7 and 8:
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.