Bethany Hicks Sears

Health Update, Faith & Prayer Request First and foremost, I want to thank every single one of you from the bottom of my heart for your ongoing Prayers, Shares, sweet comments, and generous support. I love each and every one of you so much, and I truly could not have come this far without my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the incredible love from all of you! I wanted to share a few major updates on my ongoing Health Journey. Lung Health & My New Chest Vest System: I am officially starting a itical new treatment for bronchiectasis—a lifelong lung condition I am fighting to manage every day. My mobile chest percussion therapy vest system will be delivered within the next week. I am currently managing this condition with 7 different medications, including hypertonic saline, albuterol, and 3 other inhalation devices. Because of the bronchiectasis, thick mucus gets trapped deep in the widened areas of my lungs, harboring bacteria and putting me at constant risk for severe lung infections. This chest vest works alongside my inhaled treatments to physically break up and loosen that trapped mucus so I can finally cough it up. It will be a lifelong daily therapy to help me breathe better and ease my shortness of breath. While my insurance has approved the device, I am still waiting to see what my co-insurance and out-of-pocket costs will be for this very expensive equipment. Upcoming Eye & Eyelid Reconstruction Surgery: We are also having to move forward with my next eye surgery sooner than expected. The orbital bones in my eyes are collapsing around my current implants, and my body is continuing to reject them. To fix this, I will be having surgery to place new implants made entirely from grafted fat tissue from my back—meaning no foreign materials will be involved. Dr. Lewis will also be reconstructing my shortened, sunken eyelids (and hopefully working on my eyelashes down the road). Once everything heals, my ocularist will modify my prosthetics to fit the new implants. My biggest goal through all of this is to rebuild my confidence so I can finally go out in public without feeling like I have to hide behind sunglasses or a mask. I feel like I am very strong. Matter of fact, I know I am. But when it comes to my self-confidence and facing the world with these issues with my eyes and the way they look, it is very, very hard for me. I am not looking for perfection, but I am just looking for something that would be presentable to the public. I have been struggling with this issue for a long time. We thought we had it all fixed in the very beginning, but the implants and everything else failed and all my other health conditions toppled down. But now we are being faced with a time issue—time, because the eye bones are collapsing. Once they collapse, no implants, surgery, or cosmetic prostheses can be placed. I just wanted to share this intimate detail with you all because I need you to Pray for me and Pray for my self-confidence to be able to once again face the public without hiding behind a mask. How You Can Stand With Me: If you feel led in your heart to support me through this next phase, every Prayer, Share, and donation means more to me than words can say. Thank you all for walking with me through every valley and victory. God is so good and faithful! With all my love, Bethany

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." > 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.