Help Pay for my Surgeries

Hi, my name is Shanniah and I'm fundraising for myself. I am a 20 years old from Clarendon, Jamaica. I am a daughter and an older sister to my two year old brother. I would like to tell you a little about myself. I am a jovial person who has big dreams and I love my family. I enjoy writing, music and creating art. My dream is to go to college and become a psychologist as this as what I've always been so passionate about from a young age. Even with a disease, I still believe that life is amazing and I am grateful to be alive. I am diagnosed with severe Ulcerative colitis.

I was diagnosed in 2020, and that's when my life completely changed. I learned that this was an autoimmune disease that I would have for the rest of my life. There is no cure. For the past three years, my mom who is solely responsible for me has done everything possible to make sure my disease is managed. My disease was too aggressive and therefore, my condition only worsened. It interfered with my schooling and my dreams of going to college. I had spent a total of 7 years in highschool due to being in and out of the hospital. I studied at home, completed my exams and got grades 1's and 2's in CXC, with a total of nine subjects, mostly the sciences. I graduated in 2022 but at the beginning of 2023, things took a turn in the worst way possible.

I had a flare that left me severely anaemic and was admitted to the University of the West Indies Hospital. While I was there, the doctors could no longer help by prescribing medications and biologics and believed the only way to save my life was to do surgery to remove my large intestines. I was bleeding out and in severe pain everyday, medical intervention had failed me. I had no choice but to remove my colon. I was scared and when I had done so, I felt like a part of me was missing. Almost like I would miss out on living life because I had removed a part of myself that I could never get back. My mom was devastated but she was my backbone and held me up, when I broke down and felt like everything was too hard. I was overwhelmed and my mom was having to watch me go through something that she couldn't fix and I knew it broke her. Especially because we had sought help from my school, who offered no support and made my studies more difficult for me, we also sought help from others but it was unfruitful because they didn't believe I was ill.

I lived in the hospital for 3 months. Now, I have an ileostomy. However, I need to do two more surgeries to give me a better quality of life. I have been struggling for the last 4 years of my life and I just need some help to help me move on from this, so I can live my life to the fullest. My next surgery is is set to be six months from the one I had in August, which is in January. My third and hopefully final surgery will be 6-9 months later. The main concern is paying for my surgeries but some funds will go to paying off my hospital bills for when I hospitalized, my colostomy supplies including bags, support belts, stoma paste, among other things as I am disabled and require the colostomy to pass waste.

My situation has inspired me to become an advocate to give back. I want to help those with chronic illnesses come to terms with that and help people deal with the psychological weight it poses on them. Mental health is very important to me, as I have struggled with it personally and for those without the support or those who feel like no one would understand, having someone who's story can inspire them will help lift them up and carry on with life, grab a hold of every opportunity, and enjoy the small moments of happiness that life has to offer.

Having an illness does not stop you from dreaming or achieving those dreams. I am so much more than my illness, I am a force to be reckoned with but I just need a chance to show that. There are people that have taken the time out to reach out and offer support and encouragement to keep going. I want give a magnanimous thanks to you and let you know how much I appreciate this.

Please, if my story has touched your heart, I ask of you to donate whatever it is you can to help me get the rest of these surgeries that I need. Your help would mean the world to me and my family. Thank you and may God bless you. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I continue to battle my disease.

Disclaimer: Louis Clarke is my beneficiary. He is my uncle and will send me the money for my surgery as it goes to his account. I am unable to collect it with my account because I don’t have a social security.