Schmaltz Family- Tadee Love-Lyme Disease
Donation protected
Imagine losing 8 years of your child’s life to a debilitating illness. This is the reality of the Schmaltz family, and their now 16-year-old daughter, Tadee. She has been bravely battling a truly debilitating condition known as Lyme Disease since she was 8 years old. Her life began with various health issues throughout her early childhood, but in October of 2011, she got very sick and hasn’t regained her health since then.
Tadee’s illness started when she came down with flu-like symptoms that continued to get progressively worse. She struggled with intense pain, chronic fatigue, daily nausea, weight loss, light & sound sensitivities, twitching, rashes, insomnia… and a variety of other issues. Unfortunately, her doctors misdiagnosed her condition early on and suggested play therapy for her ‘perceived’ illness. They simply didn’t believe her.
After seeing many different doctors, two hospital stays, dozens of blood tests, MRIs, a spinal tap, a bone marrow biopsy, and other lab work, the Schmaltz’s found a doctor who was able to finally make the official diagnosis of Lyme disease, along with four rampant co-infections. They were devastated by the actual diagnosis, but there was also a deep relief that came with finally having some answers. Now they would be able to focus on creating a comprehensive treatment plan that would allow Tadee a chance to begin to heal and hopefully regain a more typical childhood. However, their journey was far from being over, and while many treatments were pursued and initiated, Tadee continued to decline further, even after receiving the initial rounds of medicine.
Chris and Marla did everything in their power to provide the best possible care for their daughter. Tadee’s regular visits to the doctor, medicines, IV treatments and extended time in hospitals have resulted in the accrual of very substantial medical bills. Their insurance continues to refuse to pay for anything related to her Lyme Disease treatment. Not content to rely on charity or goodwill, Chris and Marla have been working tirelessly over the years to pay down their increasing medical debts – but progress is discouragingly hard to attain.
Flash forward eight years from the diagnosis and Tadee has made some health gains. Her pain and symptoms continue to assail her; she will have healthy spells for a few weeks at a time, and then some of the different facets of Lyme Disease will flare up once again, keeping her bedridden for extended periods. Tadee still requires regular ongoing medical treatments to help her fight off the debilitating disease process that has invaded her young body.
When we first met Chris and Marla a few years ago as vendors at our market, they had just started selling vintage and handmade goods to supplement their income in hopes of paying down their medical debt. Chris is also a pastor. He and Marla have been in full-time ministry since they met. Along with ministering to youth and their families, Chris works painting original signs, salvaging vintage goods, restoring furniture, building unique one-of-a-kind items and then loads them up to sell at various vintage markets. They have both worked tirelessly over the years to accomplish this. Marla, along with caring for Tadee and managing her medical issues, also provides daily care for her elderly father who is battling Parkinson’s disease. They have two other daughters: Cladee (18) who just graduated high school, and Landee (23).
To know the Schmaltz family is to love them and also to be loved by them. They continue to always pursue a life of service and generosity, and their heart for others is unmatched. Their work ethic is yet another thing about them that we admire so very much. They have reached a point now where there simply aren't enough hours in each day to financially catch up or pay off the medical bills and debts that have been incurred throughout these past eight years.
When Chris and Marla first started getting the calls from hospitals and doctors demanding money, they were frightened that they would lose their home or access to the care that Tadee so desperately needed. To buy themselves some time, they initially began paying these medical bills with their credit cards, only to realize later that credit card companies are much more ruthless and less forgiving than hospitals and the interest alone is daunting. While we cannot take away the illness or the pain, we would dearly love to bless this beautiful family and alleviate some of their financial burdens.
Please consider partnering with us in raising money for the Schmaltz family and provide help to get Tadee the ongoing care she needs. The money will offset the debt and medical bills from the years of treatment, as well as help with the expense of her ongoing care (often costing upwards of $600 a week!)
Tadee continues to hold onto hope.
A verse that she continues to cling to throughout all of this adversity is…
Wait with Hope,
Hope Now… Hope Always.
Psalms 131:3
Watch this sweet video to see the more of Tadee's story
Tadee’s illness started when she came down with flu-like symptoms that continued to get progressively worse. She struggled with intense pain, chronic fatigue, daily nausea, weight loss, light & sound sensitivities, twitching, rashes, insomnia… and a variety of other issues. Unfortunately, her doctors misdiagnosed her condition early on and suggested play therapy for her ‘perceived’ illness. They simply didn’t believe her.
After seeing many different doctors, two hospital stays, dozens of blood tests, MRIs, a spinal tap, a bone marrow biopsy, and other lab work, the Schmaltz’s found a doctor who was able to finally make the official diagnosis of Lyme disease, along with four rampant co-infections. They were devastated by the actual diagnosis, but there was also a deep relief that came with finally having some answers. Now they would be able to focus on creating a comprehensive treatment plan that would allow Tadee a chance to begin to heal and hopefully regain a more typical childhood. However, their journey was far from being over, and while many treatments were pursued and initiated, Tadee continued to decline further, even after receiving the initial rounds of medicine.
Chris and Marla did everything in their power to provide the best possible care for their daughter. Tadee’s regular visits to the doctor, medicines, IV treatments and extended time in hospitals have resulted in the accrual of very substantial medical bills. Their insurance continues to refuse to pay for anything related to her Lyme Disease treatment. Not content to rely on charity or goodwill, Chris and Marla have been working tirelessly over the years to pay down their increasing medical debts – but progress is discouragingly hard to attain.
Flash forward eight years from the diagnosis and Tadee has made some health gains. Her pain and symptoms continue to assail her; she will have healthy spells for a few weeks at a time, and then some of the different facets of Lyme Disease will flare up once again, keeping her bedridden for extended periods. Tadee still requires regular ongoing medical treatments to help her fight off the debilitating disease process that has invaded her young body.
When we first met Chris and Marla a few years ago as vendors at our market, they had just started selling vintage and handmade goods to supplement their income in hopes of paying down their medical debt. Chris is also a pastor. He and Marla have been in full-time ministry since they met. Along with ministering to youth and their families, Chris works painting original signs, salvaging vintage goods, restoring furniture, building unique one-of-a-kind items and then loads them up to sell at various vintage markets. They have both worked tirelessly over the years to accomplish this. Marla, along with caring for Tadee and managing her medical issues, also provides daily care for her elderly father who is battling Parkinson’s disease. They have two other daughters: Cladee (18) who just graduated high school, and Landee (23).
To know the Schmaltz family is to love them and also to be loved by them. They continue to always pursue a life of service and generosity, and their heart for others is unmatched. Their work ethic is yet another thing about them that we admire so very much. They have reached a point now where there simply aren't enough hours in each day to financially catch up or pay off the medical bills and debts that have been incurred throughout these past eight years.
When Chris and Marla first started getting the calls from hospitals and doctors demanding money, they were frightened that they would lose their home or access to the care that Tadee so desperately needed. To buy themselves some time, they initially began paying these medical bills with their credit cards, only to realize later that credit card companies are much more ruthless and less forgiving than hospitals and the interest alone is daunting. While we cannot take away the illness or the pain, we would dearly love to bless this beautiful family and alleviate some of their financial burdens.
Please consider partnering with us in raising money for the Schmaltz family and provide help to get Tadee the ongoing care she needs. The money will offset the debt and medical bills from the years of treatment, as well as help with the expense of her ongoing care (often costing upwards of $600 a week!)
Tadee continues to hold onto hope.
A verse that she continues to cling to throughout all of this adversity is…
Wait with Hope,
Hope Now… Hope Always.
Psalms 131:3
Watch this sweet video to see the more of Tadee's story
Organizer and beneficiary
Coley Arnold
Organizer
Phoenix, AZ
marla schmaltz
Beneficiary