Mayo Clinic for Crohn’s Disease

My best friend Jennifer has struggled with Crohn’s Disease (and all the awful extra-intestinal symptoms such as soul sucking fatigue, eye issues, skin issues, organ failure, etc. ) since the age of 15. She has also struggled with numerous surgeries such as bowel resections, removal of the valve connecting her small and large intestine, strictures (painful narrowing of intestines that has to be dilated via balloon), abscess removal, gall bladder removal due to stones, appendicitis as well as appendix removal. She finally had no choice but to have an IV port placed in her chest as her veins were so scarred and wouldn’t hold an IV successfully, and they were needed quite often. The medications she takes via IV infusion drastically suppress her immune system, making it nearly impossible to avoid both infections picked up from the general public, and infections brought on by her own body, which makes it difficult to stay out of the hospital and to work a steady job. A few years back, a seemingly benign case of strep throat turned into streptococcal pneumonia, which spread to her blood stream, and onto her organs causing massive shutdown of her kidneys, liver, pancreas, lungs and spleen. She had to be induced into a coma in order for physicians to figure out the best course of action, and in that time, she lost quite literally everything she had built as a life and had to start over with very little. She prevailed, and started over a new life, on a new medication via the Mayo Clinic which put her in remission for close to five years. Eventually, much like all of the other meds she has been on, it stopped working to keep her disease in remission, and over the last two years she has tried the rest of the medications available here locally to no avail. She is currently traveling back and forth once a month to The Mayo Clinic to receive medication through a trial. She has had good results so far, but will have to continue these monthly trips in order to remain compliant with the trial. To make things even more complicated, she was hit head on while stopped at a light by a man going about 50mph who had overdosed on heroin. 
As stress is a huge factor in the exacerbation of Crohn’s disease, the accident and subsequent injuries have forced her to leave her job until she is cleared by a neurologist (since she has had headaches, dizziness and memory loss since the accident) and the stress of that burden has only made her disease flare worse. Throw in financial hardship and stress of how to get to Mayo for her appointments are only making her flare of symptoms worse. Jennifer is one of my very best friends, and has always been there for me, whether it be a shoulder to cry on, or support through my business ventures, or help with My son. I have started this fundraiser in hopes that it will lift some of the burden she is experiencing in trying to get the things she needs to make the trip and hopefully start a new med that will give her a few years to experience life as it should be. She has been driving the 22 hour round trip alone each month, with various other expenses both in MN and OH. Hopefully it will also help with some of her living expenses here while she is away so she doesn’t have to worry about losing her apartment, and will have money to place her dog in a kennel she is comfortable with and will take great care of her. She is one of the few things that brings Jennifer joy lately as she has been feeling so awful. This disease has taken so much from her, not only just physically, but mentally and emotionally and in life in general. She is an incredibly kind, thoughtful, sweet, and genuine person and a great friend who goes above and beyond for everyone she meets. Last year, when times were tough for my family, she treated me to NYE at Raleigh for our favorite band and made sure I had a wonderful time.  
Please consider even just a dollar or two, as it all adds up! She deserves help to get the medicine she needs and nothing would see me happier than to put a smile on her face. I’m really hoping she gets to feel better again soon.
Thank you!
Megan

l