Donia's Emergency Spinal Surgery Fund

Next Tuesday, Oct 22, 2013, I am scheduled for emergency spinal surgery. I need a Facet and Lumbar Rhizotomy on ruptured discs L4 & L5 immediately. This should alleviate the severe, constant and intense pain I have been living with since October 2011. The relentless stabbing sciatic pain extends down my leg to the back of my knee. There is also radiating pain in my low back. I have pins and needles in my hands and shoulder that wake me up several times a night. I want my life back.. but I can only do it with your help.

(I am starting this fund after months and months of my friends urging me to ask for help - but my pride and ego kept me from reaching out to my community)

For 9 months I tried to heal myself with accupunture, cold laser therapy, massage and chiropractic care. Nothing helped to alleviate the excruciating pain and the feeling of my femur tearing away from my hipjoint has returned even on medication. It is hard for me to move around, to walk upright, and to complete normal household tasks. I exhausted my life savings trying to do it naturally with dedication to my 6 plus years of hard won and continuous sobriety.
I have been living on pain medication for 15 months and it has become unbearable. The medications stop working, the tolerance grows rapidly and being bed ridden for months at time has caused serious depression. My medical team has explained to me that as time goes on, being on all of these medications causes nerve damage, often times permanent. The Neuropathy in my hands causes me to loose my grip on objects. I usually work as a Massage Therapist, a model and a jewelry designer, and at this stage I am completely unable to work. I am in the process of applying for disability.

I suffer from Facet Arthropathy, a degenerative spinal disease and two ruptured discs. The surgery will burn the nerves to alleviate the constant pain I experience 24/7. I have been denied health insurance 7 times due to delivering my son twelve years ago C-Section. In January, Obamacare will kick in and I will then have the fragments of disc embedded in the nerves removed.

I am now participating in outpatient treatment program for which I received a scholarship. For my own sanity and well being I need to get off of medication immediately, but I need the surgery first with your gracious help. Every donation makes a difference. $25, $50, $75, $100, $500, $1000.. It all adds up to giving me my life back.

Please help me to be the mother, the designer, and the person of almost constant service I once was. Please help me enjoy living again.

Thank you in advance for your generosity.. I promise to pay it forward.


Warmest Regards-
Donia