Thanks for taking a minute out of your day to read about Kalie and her story and consider helping this family we love dearly:
"2020 was the year I was diagnosed with Ehler Danlos syndrome (EDS) and spinal instability, conditions that would alter the course of my life and really already had my whole life prior to the diagnosis, but no one had made the connection. EDS is a rare connective tissue disorder that causes my joints to partially and fully dislocate, resulting in nerve compression, severe pain, autonomic dysregulation, as well as a whole host of other debilitating conditions. In the past five years, I’ve gone to 5-10 to appointments every week. I went from working as a registered nurse and living an active lifestyle—surfing, dancing and doing handstands everywhere to being bedridden for months at a time. Regular everyday tasks require careful consideration and planning and even outside help. Life has altogether drastically changed for me and my family, but we continue to hold onto hope for healing.
November of 2025, I sustained a neck injury that further complicated cranio-cervical instability. A bump in the road—literally—resulted in my neck coming out of alignment; this triggered severe autonomic dysfunction, leading to gastroparesis, where there is partial stomach paralysis, causing intense nausea and vomiting. I lost over 20 pounds quickly and had to be hospitalized. The persistent vomiting severely damaged my neck ligaments, further worsening the instability I already had.
For over a month afterwards, I was unable to leave my house, even in order to make doctors' appointments. The instability causes severe pain, muscle fatigue, radiating nerve pain, heart rate dysregulation, cognitive issues, dizziness, and significantly hinders my ability to remain upright for any length of time. For the past two and a half months, I have spent most of the day and night in bed.
What I Need & Why
After extensive research and much deliberation with numerous providers, we’ve developed a comprehensive treatment plan and wholistic approach that offers me my best chance at regaining stability and improving my overall quality of life. This plan includes regenerative medicine, stem cell therapy, structural jaw support, and physical therapy by highly specialized providers. These modalities must be completed in conjunction with one another in order to be most effective.
The Estimated Treatment Costs over the next 6 months are as follows:
Regenerative stem cell therapy: $15,330 per treatment (1-3 treatments depending the providers recommendations)
Structural jaw support: $4,200
Specialized physical therapy: $7,600
Over the years, I've pursued every conservative treatment I could find, including multiple rounds of prolotherapy and PRP. While these treatments helped me regain some of my life, I've reached the point where they're no longer effective enough. I need more aggressive and comprehensive treatment, and there are only a small number of doctors across the country who specialize in treating EDS, which comes at a significant cost. We've depleted our savings and maxed out credit cards pursuing treatment. I know healing is possible. I just need help getting there.
My hope is to heal enough to return to serving as a registered nurse, to show up fully for my family and community, and to share hope from this healing journey. From being bedridden to dancing again.
If you’re able to help in any way, whether by donating or sharing, THANK YOU!
Your support makes this care possible and gives me hope for healing."
