My hardware is perfect, but my software has crashed. I need your help to reboot.
Hi, my name is Sarah Elizabeth McMillan. I am writing this because I am fighting a battle that isn’t always visible, but affects every single second of my existence. I am a survivor of violence and brain injury 🤕
I have been diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). To understand what this means, imagine a computer. The hardware (my brain structure) is healthy, but the software (the signals sending messages to my body) has completely malfunctioned.
It isn't "stress" and it isn't "in my head." It is a critical failure of my nervous system that causes my body to forget how to be a body.
The "Glitch" is Life-Threatening
What many people don't realize is that FND is debilitating. It disrupts my entire existence with symptoms that can flare at any moment. I am currently dealing with severe "system errors" that impact my daily survival:
Neurological Failure: I suffer from tremors, paralysis in my legs, and terrifying dissociative seizures and stroke-like episodes.
Systemic Collapse: My body cannot regulate itself. I face cardiac episodes, extreme cold intolerance, and daily vomiting triggered by the slightest stress.
Physical Pain & Deficiency: I am battling severe nutritional neuropathy (Anemia, B12 deficiencies), eye problems, and chronic pain that never sleeps.
Why I Need You Now
Here is the hard truth: I cannot access the full scope of treatment I need within the public system.
While our healthcare system is great for acute injuries, it is not equipped for the specialized, intensive rehabilitation required to "rewire" a brain with severe FND.
The Goal: $1,333
This specific amount is the critical bridge I need to access care right now. Your donation will go directly toward two life-saving steps:
Local Rehabilitation: Funding my treatment at the Cherish Clinic in Burnaby, where I can access specialized therapy to help manage my symptoms.
International Treatment Travel: Covering the travel costs required for me to access specialized FND treatments that are only available outside of Canada.
The Outlook
FND is hard to diagnose and hard to manage, but remission is possible. Neuroplasticity means the brain can change—it can be retrained. I am fighting to walk without fear, to eat without sickness, and to live without the constant threat of a seizure.
Please help me reconnect the signals.
Let’s fix the glitch!
Thank you for being a part of the miracle. I know, I Will survive and overcome this one day at a time!
Where Your Donations Go
I want to be completely transparent about how these funds will be used. Because standard medication is not effective for FND, my path to recovery requires a complex mix of holistic and Western medicine.
Your support goes directly toward:
Integrative Medical Care: Out-of-network specialists, deductibles for holistic therapies, prescriptions not covered by insurance, oxygen, wheelchairs, and necessary medical devices.
Essential Living Costs: Rent, electricity, food, and phone bills. Since I can no longer work full-time as a therapist, these funds are keeping a roof over my head.
Treatment Logistics: Uber/Lyft to appointments, hospital parking fees, and hotel stays for distant treatments.
Service Animal Care: Food, medication, and vet expenses for Coco, my service feline who is vital to my daily functioning.
