Dusty Snyder Survival Fund
Donation protected
Meet my son, 29-year old, artist and environmentalist, Dusty Snyder. Dusty is fighting for his life, battling several autoimmune diseases including severe, chronic Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Type I Diabetes.
Hi! I'm Dusty's Mom, Vicky. Thank you for being here. Dusty has always been a bright light, however, his light is currently dimmed due to nearly two decades of physical pain and suffering. Despite being in constant pain, he teaches me to be a better human, displaying acts of kindness and patience toward others and making positive, sustainable impacts in our world. Dusty is in need of immediate medical and financial support, as well as support from our community of fellow humans.
Dusty’s 30th birthday is coming up on October 28th. I pray it is God’s will that he is here for this birthday and many more birthdays. Read on to hear his story in his own words. Stay safe and love one another.
Hello! I’m Dusty and this is the story of my health journey. A story usually kept to myself, only giving bits of information to people who actually seem interested with a concluding remark sounding something like “I’m ok! Don’t worry about me!” I’ve always been afraid to speak on my sufferings, as my diseases are often invisible, unpredictable and misunderstood within the medical system and the general public. Also, I’ve lived for years in the dark, seeing countless doctors and specialists, trying endless medications and treatments, with little to no answers or relief. The diseases always mutating and progressing. New diagnoses, wrong diagnoses, terrible doctor experiences, medications that caused infections and life-long symptoms, not qualifying for health benefits and paying out of pocket, mixing multiple medications and the physical and mental strain caused by them, the list of struggles is too long and daunting to discuss with anyone or bring up casually at a lunch date with a friend. But it is the constant narrative in my mind, dictating every decision I make.
Often feeling like I’m crazy and there are no answers, it’s confusing to describe to people what leading specialists can’t figure out. I plan to write a book on the extent of my journey through the troubled health care system, what it is like to live with Autoimmune Disorders, and how I overcame and beat them, but that part comes later in my life’s story. I will do my best to explain and keep it as summarized and relevant as possible.
I suffer from multiple autoimmune diseases including Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosed at the age of 10. This disease quickly grew from one joint in my thumb to most of my body. Although in pain, I was always an athlete, involved in sports and lived an active lifestyle, but when the disease was active, it caused me complete disability and wreaked havoc on my immune system and body. With a depleted immune system and taking a plethora of immunosuppressive drugs, steroids and pain medications, I was often sick and when I contract a virus I’m usually sick for long periods of time. RA is a degenerative disease. Instead of my immune system defending my body against harmful toxins, viruses, bacteria and disease, it attacks its own cells. In this case, my joints.
The autoimmune disorder eventually spread to my pancreas, destroying the organ's tissue and its ability to make insulin, leading to my diagnosis of Type I Diabetes. I was a full-time student at the time, attending Metropolitan State University, studying Art and Business Marketing, while also working a full-time job to pay my way through school. My father had recently passed away and the trauma sent me into a full-blown flare of my RA and the onset of Type I. This combination of conditions is not only rare, they are also extremely degenerative and difficult to manage together. Each having their own challenges and risks, they feed each other's symptoms in the fight against my bodies own tissues.
For the past decade of my life since then, I’ve faced many challenges with the physical, mental and financial burden of these conditions. I have made many sacrifices and lifestyle improvements to gain control of the crisis, although the spread of disease and infections has ensued. Over the last year, I’ve been investing everything I have, all of my time and all of my resources to battle this constant flare and infection that left me sick with extreme flu like symptoms for months and forced me to move home to Colorado from California and led me to this campaign. As we continue to test for other diseases, I pursue my current treatment plan and procedures, and am planning out my future with 8+ surgeries ahead.
The conditions and constant inflammation have quickly damaged many of my joints throughout my body including the jaw joint and caused tooth decay and oral infections. The mouth being the first stage of our immune system and a vital part of the bodies ability to fight disease, it has suffered greatly from a depleted, overworked immune system. Dental work was always pushed in the back of my medical needs, as the financial burden of my other conditions reined most important over any and all funds I was able to scrape up. I always got the bare minimum done within dentistry, only doing what I could afford. With having multiple root canals and poisonous mercury fillings from the 90’s and the lack of support from my immune system to fight infections, we have traced an infection from my mouth that is causing my immune system to react. Instead of fighting this infection, my body is attacking my organs, causing damage to my liver, kidneys, brain and nerve endings, and a laundry list of symptoms and complications. I feel really sick basically all of the time.
At times the pain so intense, it causes vomiting or long, restless nights. I used to climb and run and ride bikes and dance. Now, some days I struggle to leave the house to get groceries, tie my shoes and perform basic functions. The things I have to consider are endless. So many concerts cut short due to diabetes complications, the days or even seasons of snowboarding skipped due to arthritis pain, the meals I can’t partake in, hoping restaurants even have something on the menu that I can eat. Hoping I can afford my meds this month, or afford a whole food organic diet with hundreds of dollars in supplements, medical supplies, treatments, office visits, constant imaging, testing, not to mention the psychological and emotional toll.
Along with the many lessons that pain and suffering has taught me, I’m now learning invaluable lessons in humility, grace and faith. The burden of this crisis has grown too large for myself or my family to take on alone. With these new developments and finally seeing a viable solution to my current and urgent medical needs, I’m in need of community and support more than ever.
In order to continue my current treatment plan, immediate surgery is needed, starting with dental. These dental operations are the first critical step in my fight against these complications, but it’s not the end. I will have many other treatments and procedures following, but without this vital step, my body will continue to flare and destroy its own cells, causing organ damage and worse.
This is where you come in. I may know you well or we may have never met before. Whoever you are, you owe me nothing. I’m at my most vulnerable state, suffering and asking for help, in any currency that you feel inclined to donate. Prayers and words of good faith are always welcome and bring me the most hope. If that is all you have to give, I thank and love you. If you are in a position to donate (as I know this is a hard time for many people and we ALL need a little help right now), any and every amount is so helpful.
Community and outreach is how I will succeed, so a simple share of my story to your community is what will make a big difference. I never thought I would be marketing the funding of my own survival, however, it’s within the sharing of our sufferings and hopes and dreams and stories that we connect and find support and accomplish our biggest and hardest goals. Thank you for listening, sharing, caring and supporting me.
The cost of the dental treatments and surgeries is $76,982. If we reach this number through loans and donations, I would be forever grateful for your support. My goal is $1000,000 as the need extends far beyond just dental work. With medical debts stacking up and future procedures needed to fix damaged joints and organs, I will need all the help I can get and this would help me succeed.
Dental treatment plan- BioDentist Denver will be taking on my dental procedures. My unique and sensitive case and conditions require a specialized treatment plan, and proper removal of toxins and infection, reconstruction, sinus lift, bone graphing and implants. I will be undergoing 8+ surgeries from now until May 2021. I trust that this type of dentistry and this Doctor in particular, Dr. John Augspurger, DDS is the right path to find the healing I need. They have a philosophy that is directly in line with my illnesses needs and treatments, including:
◦ Mouth-Body Connection-
◦ The foundational principal of our fully biological, holistic dentistry practice is that everything in your mouth is connected to everything else in your body as an intricate, coordinated system. Medical history, diet, exercise regimen, sleep patterns, stress levels—all of these factors have a direct impact on your overall wellness and provide valuable insights into what’s happening in your mouth. In turn, your oral health helps us understand what’s happening in the rest of your body. Mouth and body as one, health and vitality for all. -BioDentist Denver
◦ Undoing The Harm-
◦ BioDentist experts often start by undoing procedures performed elsewhere due to the toxic effects that mercury, root canals, poisonous metals, and fluoride have on your body. Our purpose is not to just fill cavities or treat symptoms; our highly trained team of the best and brightest in biological dentistry go straight to the underlying cause. In addition to world-class dental care, we integrate other holistic techniques, energetic therapies, remedies, supplements, and guided nutrition to holistically support your body’s inherent design of vitality. -BioDentist Denver
◦ Whole Mouth Approach-
◦ At BioDentist, we understand that to effectively treat any single part of your mouth, every other part of your mouth must actively be a part of the conversation; but it doesn’t stop there. Every system in your body, all aspects of life including spirituality, emotions, relationships—it all comes together to define your holistic state of wellness and your inherent ability to defend against infection, dysfunction and chronic disease. We do more than just help you experience oral vitality, we’re here to positively impact every aspect of your life. -BioDentist Denver
Hi! I'm Dusty's Mom, Vicky. Thank you for being here. Dusty has always been a bright light, however, his light is currently dimmed due to nearly two decades of physical pain and suffering. Despite being in constant pain, he teaches me to be a better human, displaying acts of kindness and patience toward others and making positive, sustainable impacts in our world. Dusty is in need of immediate medical and financial support, as well as support from our community of fellow humans.
Dusty’s 30th birthday is coming up on October 28th. I pray it is God’s will that he is here for this birthday and many more birthdays. Read on to hear his story in his own words. Stay safe and love one another.
Hello! I’m Dusty and this is the story of my health journey. A story usually kept to myself, only giving bits of information to people who actually seem interested with a concluding remark sounding something like “I’m ok! Don’t worry about me!” I’ve always been afraid to speak on my sufferings, as my diseases are often invisible, unpredictable and misunderstood within the medical system and the general public. Also, I’ve lived for years in the dark, seeing countless doctors and specialists, trying endless medications and treatments, with little to no answers or relief. The diseases always mutating and progressing. New diagnoses, wrong diagnoses, terrible doctor experiences, medications that caused infections and life-long symptoms, not qualifying for health benefits and paying out of pocket, mixing multiple medications and the physical and mental strain caused by them, the list of struggles is too long and daunting to discuss with anyone or bring up casually at a lunch date with a friend. But it is the constant narrative in my mind, dictating every decision I make.
Often feeling like I’m crazy and there are no answers, it’s confusing to describe to people what leading specialists can’t figure out. I plan to write a book on the extent of my journey through the troubled health care system, what it is like to live with Autoimmune Disorders, and how I overcame and beat them, but that part comes later in my life’s story. I will do my best to explain and keep it as summarized and relevant as possible.
I suffer from multiple autoimmune diseases including Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosed at the age of 10. This disease quickly grew from one joint in my thumb to most of my body. Although in pain, I was always an athlete, involved in sports and lived an active lifestyle, but when the disease was active, it caused me complete disability and wreaked havoc on my immune system and body. With a depleted immune system and taking a plethora of immunosuppressive drugs, steroids and pain medications, I was often sick and when I contract a virus I’m usually sick for long periods of time. RA is a degenerative disease. Instead of my immune system defending my body against harmful toxins, viruses, bacteria and disease, it attacks its own cells. In this case, my joints.
The autoimmune disorder eventually spread to my pancreas, destroying the organ's tissue and its ability to make insulin, leading to my diagnosis of Type I Diabetes. I was a full-time student at the time, attending Metropolitan State University, studying Art and Business Marketing, while also working a full-time job to pay my way through school. My father had recently passed away and the trauma sent me into a full-blown flare of my RA and the onset of Type I. This combination of conditions is not only rare, they are also extremely degenerative and difficult to manage together. Each having their own challenges and risks, they feed each other's symptoms in the fight against my bodies own tissues.
For the past decade of my life since then, I’ve faced many challenges with the physical, mental and financial burden of these conditions. I have made many sacrifices and lifestyle improvements to gain control of the crisis, although the spread of disease and infections has ensued. Over the last year, I’ve been investing everything I have, all of my time and all of my resources to battle this constant flare and infection that left me sick with extreme flu like symptoms for months and forced me to move home to Colorado from California and led me to this campaign. As we continue to test for other diseases, I pursue my current treatment plan and procedures, and am planning out my future with 8+ surgeries ahead.
The conditions and constant inflammation have quickly damaged many of my joints throughout my body including the jaw joint and caused tooth decay and oral infections. The mouth being the first stage of our immune system and a vital part of the bodies ability to fight disease, it has suffered greatly from a depleted, overworked immune system. Dental work was always pushed in the back of my medical needs, as the financial burden of my other conditions reined most important over any and all funds I was able to scrape up. I always got the bare minimum done within dentistry, only doing what I could afford. With having multiple root canals and poisonous mercury fillings from the 90’s and the lack of support from my immune system to fight infections, we have traced an infection from my mouth that is causing my immune system to react. Instead of fighting this infection, my body is attacking my organs, causing damage to my liver, kidneys, brain and nerve endings, and a laundry list of symptoms and complications. I feel really sick basically all of the time.
At times the pain so intense, it causes vomiting or long, restless nights. I used to climb and run and ride bikes and dance. Now, some days I struggle to leave the house to get groceries, tie my shoes and perform basic functions. The things I have to consider are endless. So many concerts cut short due to diabetes complications, the days or even seasons of snowboarding skipped due to arthritis pain, the meals I can’t partake in, hoping restaurants even have something on the menu that I can eat. Hoping I can afford my meds this month, or afford a whole food organic diet with hundreds of dollars in supplements, medical supplies, treatments, office visits, constant imaging, testing, not to mention the psychological and emotional toll.
Along with the many lessons that pain and suffering has taught me, I’m now learning invaluable lessons in humility, grace and faith. The burden of this crisis has grown too large for myself or my family to take on alone. With these new developments and finally seeing a viable solution to my current and urgent medical needs, I’m in need of community and support more than ever.
In order to continue my current treatment plan, immediate surgery is needed, starting with dental. These dental operations are the first critical step in my fight against these complications, but it’s not the end. I will have many other treatments and procedures following, but without this vital step, my body will continue to flare and destroy its own cells, causing organ damage and worse.
This is where you come in. I may know you well or we may have never met before. Whoever you are, you owe me nothing. I’m at my most vulnerable state, suffering and asking for help, in any currency that you feel inclined to donate. Prayers and words of good faith are always welcome and bring me the most hope. If that is all you have to give, I thank and love you. If you are in a position to donate (as I know this is a hard time for many people and we ALL need a little help right now), any and every amount is so helpful.
Community and outreach is how I will succeed, so a simple share of my story to your community is what will make a big difference. I never thought I would be marketing the funding of my own survival, however, it’s within the sharing of our sufferings and hopes and dreams and stories that we connect and find support and accomplish our biggest and hardest goals. Thank you for listening, sharing, caring and supporting me.
The cost of the dental treatments and surgeries is $76,982. If we reach this number through loans and donations, I would be forever grateful for your support. My goal is $1000,000 as the need extends far beyond just dental work. With medical debts stacking up and future procedures needed to fix damaged joints and organs, I will need all the help I can get and this would help me succeed.
Dental treatment plan- BioDentist Denver will be taking on my dental procedures. My unique and sensitive case and conditions require a specialized treatment plan, and proper removal of toxins and infection, reconstruction, sinus lift, bone graphing and implants. I will be undergoing 8+ surgeries from now until May 2021. I trust that this type of dentistry and this Doctor in particular, Dr. John Augspurger, DDS is the right path to find the healing I need. They have a philosophy that is directly in line with my illnesses needs and treatments, including:
◦ Mouth-Body Connection-
◦ The foundational principal of our fully biological, holistic dentistry practice is that everything in your mouth is connected to everything else in your body as an intricate, coordinated system. Medical history, diet, exercise regimen, sleep patterns, stress levels—all of these factors have a direct impact on your overall wellness and provide valuable insights into what’s happening in your mouth. In turn, your oral health helps us understand what’s happening in the rest of your body. Mouth and body as one, health and vitality for all. -BioDentist Denver
◦ Undoing The Harm-
◦ BioDentist experts often start by undoing procedures performed elsewhere due to the toxic effects that mercury, root canals, poisonous metals, and fluoride have on your body. Our purpose is not to just fill cavities or treat symptoms; our highly trained team of the best and brightest in biological dentistry go straight to the underlying cause. In addition to world-class dental care, we integrate other holistic techniques, energetic therapies, remedies, supplements, and guided nutrition to holistically support your body’s inherent design of vitality. -BioDentist Denver
◦ Whole Mouth Approach-
◦ At BioDentist, we understand that to effectively treat any single part of your mouth, every other part of your mouth must actively be a part of the conversation; but it doesn’t stop there. Every system in your body, all aspects of life including spirituality, emotions, relationships—it all comes together to define your holistic state of wellness and your inherent ability to defend against infection, dysfunction and chronic disease. We do more than just help you experience oral vitality, we’re here to positively impact every aspect of your life. -BioDentist Denver
Co-organizers (2)
Vicky Waldschmidt
Organizer
Golden, CO
Dusty Lee Snyder
Beneficiary
Nick Snyder
Co-organizer