Support Chris, Dinosaur Discoverer, to Recover

Hello, I am Hazel Wolfe and I am raising funds to support my adult child, Chris who has been diagnosed with a series of rare genetic disorders called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) a trifecta of rare diseases. EDS, POTS, and MCAS are so obscure that many doctors do not treat them. Chris and I had devoted our lives to the Zuni Basin Paleontological Project, a citizen science research project since 1996, now run by the nonprofit Chris helped found, Zuni Dinosaur Institute for Geosciences (ZDIG). At 7 years old Chris became the youngest person to discover a dinosaur, Zuniceratops christopheri. As an adult, Chris committed much of his life to providing opportunities for students and citizen scientists to realize their dreams of working in paleontology. Chris was an excellent field leader, mentor to students, and our field medic, keeping everyone safe in remote and dangerous locations. We are proud of the work we did alongside my husband Douglas Wolfe, to learn about our planet's ancient ecologies, and provide invaluable opportunities to experience our natural world, however, chronic illness has changed the course of our lives.

Chris had planed on attending National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) to become a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician. Instead, since 2020 Chris has had to dedicate time and effort to regaining basic physical functions and mitigating a variety of debilitating symptoms. It has been a long and challenging journey to even discover the cause of this illness and receive treatment. After a litany of diagnostic tests and false starts official diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a debilitating connective tissue disorder, in 2022 Chris was able to begin a regimen of medication and physical therapy. Chris is improving through incredibly hard work and determination. However, the majority of the medicines, treatments, and support equipment are not covered by insurance.

Chris has reached a point where continued improvement relies on accessing the services of medical professionals that insurance will not cover, including, and in particular, a neuro-allergist needed to manage MCAS and coordinate complicated medications. EDS requires continued physical therapy to maintain basic function as well as a variety of supports and aids, such as braces for unstable joints, outside the scope of insurance. Even as Chris recovers these disorders impact almost every aspect of life and will require a lifetime of adaptation and management.

These daily costs leave us without the resources to invest in the future.

Chris is striving to build a new career that allows for remote work in musical and content production. I am seeking your help to assist Chris’s recovery by helping provide the treatments he needs to function and the capital to pursue a self-sufficient life. I appreciate your support from the bottom of my heart during these challenging times. All donations will be placed into an account for Chris’s use in empowering a new path forward.