Family trying to recover with critical illnesses
Donation protected
My beautiful friend Kim has been through some severe obstacles and issues over the last several years. She took care of both her parents with terminal illnesses. Her mother passed in 2014 from cancer, and her father passed in 2017 from a severe heart condition and renal failure.
After her father passed, asthma that she has dealt with for years took a very wrong turn. In 2018, between April and August; she went into hypoxic respiratory failure three times and came close to death. Her asthma is obstructive and is now combined with chronic idiopathic urticaria. The latter is a disease that causes severe hive breakout. Idiopathic means she is not allergic to anything, so her body is just doing this by itself like an autoimmune. Combining these two is what is resulting in the respiratory failure because the CIU causes her throat to close and then her long eventually collapses. The doctors and the EMT's work together to get her to the hospital as quickly as possible and get her on a Bipap. This machine is similar to a CPAP, but it breathes in and out for her.
She has found an excellent Immunologist who diagnosed the CIU for her. He has put her on a Biologic monthly shot that helps to prevent her mast cells from activating and flooding her with histamine and causes the hives which produce the chain reaction. She has been able to at least control the hives from popping out, but she still fights histamine release daily. It's a tough balancing act with asthma, CIU, fibromyalgia and other issues stemming from these 3.
Needless to say as of August the illness became so critical that she is no longer able to work. This has caused a major financial strain on her and her son. She has been doing her best to keep a roof over their heads, pay necessary bills and buy food. She has come to a point where she could somewhat make ends meet, however, the TDI she has still had four months left on it but was cut due to new rules.
As much as she is an extremely private person and does not like to ask for help, she has agreed to allow me to create this page on her behalf, because the situation is so unstable.
Kim has contributed to so many causes over the years regardless if you knew the family or not. Up until this happened recently, she was a regular contributor to our local food pantry; She would extreme coupon huge quantities of cereal, pasta, soup, etc. and it bothers her that she cannot do that anymore. Kim is the type of friend that will give you the shirt of her back and help you even when she is down herself. You have to force her to let you help her. So this is a huge deal!
If you could contribute to her cause, THANK YOU! If not, please share...
After her father passed, asthma that she has dealt with for years took a very wrong turn. In 2018, between April and August; she went into hypoxic respiratory failure three times and came close to death. Her asthma is obstructive and is now combined with chronic idiopathic urticaria. The latter is a disease that causes severe hive breakout. Idiopathic means she is not allergic to anything, so her body is just doing this by itself like an autoimmune. Combining these two is what is resulting in the respiratory failure because the CIU causes her throat to close and then her long eventually collapses. The doctors and the EMT's work together to get her to the hospital as quickly as possible and get her on a Bipap. This machine is similar to a CPAP, but it breathes in and out for her.
She has found an excellent Immunologist who diagnosed the CIU for her. He has put her on a Biologic monthly shot that helps to prevent her mast cells from activating and flooding her with histamine and causes the hives which produce the chain reaction. She has been able to at least control the hives from popping out, but she still fights histamine release daily. It's a tough balancing act with asthma, CIU, fibromyalgia and other issues stemming from these 3.
Needless to say as of August the illness became so critical that she is no longer able to work. This has caused a major financial strain on her and her son. She has been doing her best to keep a roof over their heads, pay necessary bills and buy food. She has come to a point where she could somewhat make ends meet, however, the TDI she has still had four months left on it but was cut due to new rules.
As much as she is an extremely private person and does not like to ask for help, she has agreed to allow me to create this page on her behalf, because the situation is so unstable.
Kim has contributed to so many causes over the years regardless if you knew the family or not. Up until this happened recently, she was a regular contributor to our local food pantry; She would extreme coupon huge quantities of cereal, pasta, soup, etc. and it bothers her that she cannot do that anymore. Kim is the type of friend that will give you the shirt of her back and help you even when she is down herself. You have to force her to let you help her. So this is a huge deal!
If you could contribute to her cause, THANK YOU! If not, please share...
Organizer
Lisha C. LaClair
Organizer
Providence, RI