Join Amanda’s Fight Against a Life-Threatening Disease and Help Her Rebuild

Your support will help Amanda continue treatment, stay in her home, and hold onto hope.

Hi, my name is Amanda, I’m 36 years old, and I never imagined I’d be here, fighting for my life while trying to hold everything else together.

In March 2023, I was diagnosed with Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA), a rare, life-threatening autoimmune disease that’s been slowly destroying my body from the inside out. For nearly three years, I’ve endured relentless flare-ups, emergency room visits, hospital stays, and aggressive treatments that have left me completely drained. I’ve lost nearly a year of work due to being completely debilitated and unable to function, spending months on disability while trying to recover enough to return.

The loss of income from multiple periods of disability and medical leave has left me financially devastated. The strain of trying to survive while battling this disease has completely overwhelmed me.

Because of GPA, I’m on chemotherapy (Rituximab), Methotrexate, and high doses of steroids to suppress my immune system and prevent the disease from attacking vital organs. These treatments keep me alive but leave me weak, nauseated, and exhausted for days. My parents have taken me to many hospitals across multiple states, from New Jersey to Florida and Pennsylvania, in hopes of finding a path toward remission or a cure. I’ve been evaluated through major hospital systems including Mayo Clinic, Robert Wood Johnson, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and the University of Pennsylvania.

GPA is a rare autoimmune vasculitis, meaning my immune system attacks the small blood vessels that carry oxygen to my tissues. It can cause severe inflammation and tissue death throughout the body, most often affecting the sinuses, ears, eyes, lungs, and kidneys. In my case, it has already destroyed much of the tissue inside my nose, causing my nasal structure to completely collapse, and my doctors are now seeing signs that it’s spreading toward my ears and eardrums, which could lead to permanent hearing loss. It’s terrifying to live with a disease that can literally erode the body from within, but I keep fighting as hard as I can to stay ahead of it, and this disease is relentless.

The tissue loss in my nasal passages and sinuses has also led to severe sleep apnea, where I stop breathing up to 70 times an hour. Because of this, I’m not getting enough oxygen while I sleep, which adds to my exhaustion and makes it even harder for my body to heal.

I’ve been in and out of hospitals, undergoing procedures, testing, and follow-ups across multiple specialists. Each visit takes energy I don’t have and adds to the growing financial strain. I’m doing everything I can to hold it together, to keep my job, keep my care consistent, and keep my home, but it’s becoming harder with every setback.

I’ve endured surgeries and endless treatments to slow the damage, and I’m still praying my body will one day be strong enough to undergo the surgery I need to rebuild my nose. Reaching that point would be a blessing, a sign that I’ve finally stabilized enough to have my face reconstructed and to feel like myself again.

After years of medical setbacks, my finances have completely collapsed. I’ve drained every bit of savings, maxed out every credit card, and I’m now struggling just to survive. I can’t keep up with medical bills, and I often go without things most people take for granted like groceries, car repairs, and basic essentials.

I’ve always worked hard, lived independently, and prided myself on never asking for help. But I’ve reached a point where I have nothing left to fall back on, and the fear of losing everything I’ve worked for, including my home, is crushing.

How Your Support Will Help

Your kindness will directly help cover:

Essential living expenses (mortgage, groceries, utilities)

Medical bills, treatments, and travel for specialists

Lost wages from missed work due to disability

❤️‍ Basic recovery and wellness needs to help me keep fighting

Every single donation, no matter the size, helps me breathe a little easier, literally and emotionally. It gives me the chance to focus on healing instead of just surviving.

If you can’t donate, sharing my story means more than you could imagine.

I never thought I’d have to ask for help like this. But I still believe in the kindness of others, and right now, I need that kindness more than ever.

From the bottom of my heart,

Thank you for reading, sharing, donating, and standing with me.

With much gratitude,

Amanda Clark