Melody Lee’s daily challenges from Systemic Scleroderma

As many of you may already know, my best friend Melody Lee has systemic Scleroderma.

This nasty autoimmune disease has hardened her skin, her internal organs and has negatively impacted every aspect of her life.

This disease has left her permanently disabled and there is NO cure.

Currently because of her disease, she has been diagnosed with fifteen additional illnesses. All causing additional complications that make every day tasks difficult and some impossible.

Melody’s disease has progressed so rapidly that she now depends on family for every aspect of her day to day life. This includes showering and dressing, preparing meals, getting in and out of her chair and getting around her home.

In 2003, Melody was so proud when she bought her beautiful home up on a hill. She was also not ill/ severely handicapped in 2003.

Now in 2024, This house is not handicap accessible at all. Everything from the multiple stairs just to get in and out of the home, inside the home, the heights of the toilets, the high tub walls to get in and out are just a few of the things that have made her dream home a prison.

We have found her on the floor/ ground a few times because of these obstacles which have been incredibly painful and embarrassing for her.

We are trying to address these challenges one at a time to help her feel as comfortable and independent as possible.

As a reminder, in 2017 she was declared permanently disabled and unable to work. Forced from a full time career earning a moderate salary to social security. This is a woman who has worked tirelessly her entire career to shape the minds, develop the skills and fill the hearts of children and young families. Everyday she tells me that she’d give anything to work again.

She would help ANYONE so now I’m asking EVERYONE to help my best friend. She won’t beat this disease however WE could help her comfortably fight!

Thank you in advance for your support.