Support Jenn Coffey's Battle with the "Suicide Disease"!

At the age of 42, Jenn Coffey received a diagnosis that nobody wants to receive: breast cancer. She was told that she needed to have surgery, but she had no clue that another diagnosis awaited her on the other side. She woke up from surgery in excruciating pain. While pain after surgery is normal, Jenn's pain was different--it was a hellish agony that she describes as: "feeling like I'm walking on broken glass in a briar patch, wrapped in barbed wire." Before her surgery, Jenn had saved lives as an EMT; but now she struggles to even take care of herself due to her debilitating symptoms. Jenn was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). This dreadful disease is triggered by injury--surgery, in Jenn's case--and ails its victims for life. CRPS is commonly called the "suicide disease" because its lifetime symptoms are so unbearable that 70% of those affected turn to suicide. However, suicide does not have to be the only way out of this torment: there are treatments available to help patients cope with CRPS, but they are unaffordable for most. Jenn is insured under a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan, but none of the available CRPS treatments are approved by the FDA, giving her insurer a convenient excuse to deny her lifesaving treatment. In addition to battling the physical, mental, and emotional torture of CRPS, Jenn has been forced to fight for the treatment she desperately needs. She sunk hours into phone calls with her insurer, a social media campaign, and contacting her senators; yet she was still left with no choice but to sell everything to pay for her treatments.

Years later, she tells me she is still fighting this unfair battle. But even when it seems that all odds are against her, she continues to fight--not just for herself, but for the many others in similar situations. Despite her many challenges, she avidly raises awareness about breast cancer, CRPS, small fiber neuropathy, and healthcare reform through her writings and other advocacy work. Please consider donating today to support Jenn so she could receive the treatment she deserves and continue her important work!