Nurse to patient: Ellisa Heallys battle with Lyme

Thank you for taking the time to read this. My name is Ellisa, and I am a mom, wife, and registered nurse.

About nine months ago I was diagnosed with a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), as well as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). I took a short time off of work to do intensive physical therapy and was then able to return to work.

Unfortunately, I continued to feel sicker and sicker until I was diagnosed additionally with Lyme disease, toxic mold exposure, and a parasitic co-infection called Bartonella. Treatment for these is long and brutal, rendering me entirely unable to work and often unable to participate in daily life. I experience frequent bouts of extreme fatigue, brain fog, nerve pain, muscle pain, fevers, and chills.

It has been determined that I’ve likely had these infections for at least fifteen years and my body has been unable to fight them off. Because of this, they have burrowed deep into my organ tissues and become extremely difficult to treat.

My Lyme disease specialist has recommended a series of treatments called Cell Membrane Therapy (CMT) in addition to the aggressive antibiotic regimen I’ve been on for several months. With antibiotics alone it could take months or even years to resolve the Lyme disease, but with CMT we hope to expedite my healing & improve my outcomes.

This is where things get a bit challenging. Insurance does not cover CMT or the prerequisite lab testing required, and the cost would be around $26,000. At this time $26,000 is an insurmountable cost with the loss of half of our household’s income and ever-growing medical debt. I ask this community to help me achieve the goal of raising $26,000 to help me and my family move closer to healing.

I miss playing with my almost 3 year old son, hiking with my husband, and providing compassionate care to my community through nursing. I’d really appreciate your help achieving this goal and getting me back to the people and things I love.

Here is a cost breakdown of how this money would be used: