Give Forward

I am a young art teacher with continuing autoimmunity, migraine and neuralgia problems for years that many doctors and specialists have not been able to concretely diagnose and treat. In October, my steady decline became severe, and neurological symptoms and pain became much more debilitating and unrelenting. I am now on a cane, unable to drive or endure normal physical activity, and have been suffering unexplained fevers, terrible numbness, pain, vision problems and constant dizziness related to the right side of my face.

I still remain without medical diagnosis. I am currently on an unpaid medical leave with my school district,  and am just trying to make ends meet (the massive student loans needed to get my teaching degree don't help!). My family has been helping immensely, as  for over 2 months I have been unable to take care of my apartment, get to doctor appointments or go to get my own groceries etc. etc.

I HAVE recently been diagnosed with a DENTAL condition in my jawbone that most likely is causing all or some of my last 7 years of suffering. My mother had to bring me to another state to see a specialist to get this diagnosis- remember I cannot drive.  Despite the gamut of doctors and tests I have endured, some very painful, the only way I found out about  osteonecrosis/dead bone areas in the jawbone and sought this DMD is due to piles of research I had done about my own symptoms and medical background. The problem is compounded by the fact that the bone areas where my wisdom extraction sites did not properly regrow bone 8 years ago (no doubt from the lack of circulation that caused the bone death) have left holes inside the jaw- tests show that pools of fluid/puss etc. have collected in these over the years and have been "hypothetically" leeching into my system and irritating facial nerves. I say hypothetical because medical insurance companies like to say that this medical theory, though backed by doctors and medical researchers around the world, is inconclusive and experimental. Meanwhile, I lose my ability to function or feel anything but ill and in pain everyday of my life! Until now, no one doctor has been willing to look at all my symptoms all at once and piece them together towards an actual cause. Most run their choice tests, shrug their shoulders and send me along my way to the next specialist or tell me to wait 6 months for the same test.

In face of all the frustration, dead ends, pain, loss of health, youth and freedoms (I am currently 27 years old, and in worse health than my 85-year-old grandmother!) over  the past 7 years, the debilitation and inability to live a normal, independent life for months, and the hopelessness and helplessness,  we are now so thankful to have found a health professional who is able to match my symptoms to an actual condition (for which I'm practically "textbook") and outline a way to make it better! We have hope!

Thus I fundraise because I require expensive jawbone surgery and supportive dental work-a procedure which is considered dental and not eligible for medical insurance coverage- the total of which will cost the full amount of the Fundraiser Goal. $15,280.00 is the price for getting my life back, $15,280.00 which, because it is for "dental" needs, I must pay to have done myself and hope that my dental insurance will even agree to pay $3,000.00 back based on my maximum annual dental coverage cap.  As I am on unpaid leave, not eligible for disability and barely able to make ends meet, my only choice is to sacrifice my future to high-interest loan companies- scavengers of the poor and unfortunate-in order to pay for the procedure.

Any amount you can contribute will make a difference! Please help me pay these bills off sooner and keep a hard working, educated, single-parent raised art teacher  from falling further into debt/poverty.

Those who wish to contact me by mail/email, please email me for an address at jseamanarts@yahoo.com

Thank you,

Jenny

update:

My body may never recover 100% from the auto-immunity and neurological problems caused by years of damage, but just to be able to function more normally and feel better makes a huge difference in your independence, mood and spirits! Since the surgery I am feeling better, with amazing turnaround in the facial neuralgia. My systemic problems have improved to a point that I can do things on my own again, and every week brings promise of a slow but steady recovery from the autoimmune distress my body was poisoned into. I am able to drive again, can actually say I have quality of life, and am headed back to education part-time. It's not enough to pay for the procedure on my own, but it's uplifting to know that there are people out there with the means and aim to help those less fortunate. Someday I hope to be able to do the same! For now, I will do my part by doing some "low-impact" pro-bono design work with the skills I already have inorder to further enrich the community  and non-profit orgs. when l am not substitute teaching part-time.