Help Santa Lucy fight Dermatomyositis

https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/magazines/life/scarred-by-skin-condition-but-ready-to-hit-the-runway--3314244

My Story...

My name is Santa Lucy Fungaroh, a 21-year-old student of Social Works and Social Administration at Makerere University.

I was first diagnosed with Dermatomyositis in 2005 when I had just turned 5, becoming the second medically registered case in Uganda and I have lived with the condition since then.

Dermatomyositis, also known as connective tissue disorder, is an auto immune condition mostly characterized with skin inflammation, distinctive skin rashes, muscle weakness and other symptoms.

Since my diagnosis in 2005 I have struggled with painful symptoms like the peeling of my skin, random calcifications on my body, muscle weakness and multiple skin disorders spending most of my early life in hospital and also struggling with stigmatization from my classmates and community and this led me to

launch an anti-stigma campaign in 2020 which run across multiple social and mainstream media under the identity “Santa with the scars”

After a series of consultation with multiple doctors we discovered that the condition could be cured with aggressive treatment. After of a fund-raising campaign, I visited Agha-Khan Hospital in Nairobi where I started my therapy in October last year (2020) and had my first review in January this year (2021)

I have since experienced lots of visible progress on my skin and the doctors are confident that if I am consistent with the treatment, I will eventually overcome this condition

Every hospital visit costs Five Thousand US Dollars (5,000 USD), an equivalent of Eighteen million Uganda Shillings (18,000,000 UGX). My next review is scheduled for 25 June and I am struggling to find the requirement money to make the trip.

I have currently been able to collect 6 million shillings and left with about 12 million shillings.

This is to humbly ask for your help in contributing what you can help meet the medical expenses to enable me to attend my second medical review this June and give me a shot at having a better medical future and hopefully an inspiration to others that may be struggling with any rare medical conditions

I highly appreciate any help you will offer

Thank you

Be blessed