We are reaching out on behalf of our dear friend, Lisa. If you have met Lisa, you know how kind and selfless she is - always helping others, always smiling through the pain. But behind that smile is someone who has been silently suffering for years. But now, Lisa needs the community's help.

Lisa's health struggles began in infancy and have only worsened with time. She has endured over 15 surgeries, including a complete hysterectomy at a young age, and too many to count prolonged hospital stays. Lisa has been unable to work for years due to her health issues. The reality is, Lisa is not able to live a full life. Each day is a struggle for her just to get through. One of Lisa's diagnoses is a rare central nervous system disease, a condition that can cause severe and debilitating symptoms. She experiences heart complications, including a dangerously low heart rate - dropping to just 20 bpm - requiring a pacemaker. She also suffers from extremely low blood pressure, leading to frequent fainting, as well as intense nerve pain throughout her body. These fainting episodes have resulted in over 10 concussions, some of them severe enough to cause a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). She has been hospitalized multiple times due to these injuries, with her longest stays lasting 2 and 4 months and one year she was in the hospital for a total of 10 months. Unfortunately, each concussion has only worsened her nervous system issues, creating an ongoing and devastating cycle. Lisa's numerous concussions has left her brain highly sensitive and vulnerable to injury. Now, even without a direct impact, sudden head movements can cause a concussion. In fact, she once sustained a concussion simply from sneezing hard! Every day, Lisa suffers from excruciating migraines - pain that never truly goes away. On a good day, her pain is rated 7/10 on the pain scale, but most days are worse.

These health battles have taken everything - her ability to work, her independence, and so much of her life.

Unfortunately, insurance does not cover most of her medications or treatments, and Lisa has been paying out of pocket for years. Depending on the month, out-of-pocket expenses (just for medication), have ranged from $2500 to $7000. Lisa and her husband have depleted their savings, maxed out our lines of credit, and completely exhausted insurance coverage. The financial strain has become insurmountable. Now, having exhausted therapies / treatments and doctors under the Alberta healthcare system, Lisa now needs specialized therapies not covered by Alberta Health.