A HEALTHY-LOOKING TANYA KORZENKOF, IN JUNE 2019, BEFORE DECLINING RAPIDLY 

FROM HER ILLNESS.

My name is Steven Thorne. I am a retired management consultant living in New Brunswick, Canada. I am an advocate for a remarkable woman: my friend, Tanya Korzhenkof, who lives in Visalia, California, southeast of Fresno.

I first met Tanya online in 2019. Subsequently, I visited her in California and she visited me. We have developed a close, platonic friendship. 

During our time in California, Tanya was ill, but managing her condition. She also helped me manage a condition I was suffering from: an eye infection not responding to treatment.  She gave me an antibiotic eye drop she possessed - a formula not available in Canada. Remarkably, it helped to clear the infection. Tanya is a caring and generous woman with an open, loving heart. She is also a woman of uncommon spiritual depth and emotional strength. I admire and respect her. 

Tanya is 50 years old. But she is very, very ill. And, during the past year, her condition has deteriorated rapidly. She urgently needs our help.

Tanya has been diagnosed with Mialgic Encefalomielitis by Dr. Hector Bonilla of the Stanford Health Care System. Her blood tests show an amount of Chicken Pox, Mononucleosis, and Herpes 1 viruses that is 60 times above a “positive” level. This condition produces severe inflammation throughout her body, manifesting in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. In addition, Tatyana also suffers from Fibromyalgia.

What is life like for Tanya? It is devastating.

She lives with acute pain, muscle spasms, and fatigue, functioning for only one hour at a time. She then lays down for an hour to recover. Only one-half hour at the keyboard produces excruciating neck, shoulder, and eye pain; brain fog; and weakness. Talking for more than 15 minutes leaves her throat and jaw aching and her energy depleted. She can walk for only three to five minutes.

Nonetheless, Tanya manages to dress and bathe herself, and prepare her own meals. In-home Support Services provided by the State of California help her with shopping and other household chores, but she is often bedridden for an entire day. As a result, her body is showing signs of muscle wastage. Her immune system is also severely compromised from attempting to fight off the viruses in her blood. 

Because of her acute inflammation, Tanya has adverse reactions to every medication that is prescribed to manage her pain or eliminate her blood viruses. For pain relief, she relies exclusively on Lidocaine cream.

Tanya's body has also developed allergies to almost every food. The only exceptions are turkey, chicken, eggs, boiled rice, some milk, and cucumbers. These are the foods she lives on. She can drink water and chamomile tea only. Not surprisingly, Tanya is undernourished and anemic. Unfortunately, she is also allergic to vitamin and mineral supplements.

Tanya has no life partner. Her husband of nine years walked out on their marriage several years ago, at the onset of her illness. This occurred despite Tanya having nursed her husband through a series of his surgeries, devoting herself to his recovery. 

Tanya cannot return to her home in the Ukraine. Her mother and brother live in poverty, and are caught in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

For seven years, Tanya has tried everything to improve her condition. She has been treated by more than 20 specialists with little or no improvement. She is rapidly in decline. 

With her alimony now ended, Tanya has applied for federal disability. The filing process is complicated and takes considerable time. That said, Tanya’s attorney is optimistic about the outcome, which would provide Tanya with a monthly benefit of $900, minus her attorney’s fee. However, it will take about 1 1/2 years for the application to be adjudicated. 

Today, Tanya survives on modest assistance from the State of California. She receives $262 a month, plus food vouchers. Her credit card pays her rent, but the limit on her credit card will soon be reached. Because of the COVID pandemic, California Governor Gavin Newsom has placed a moratorium on evictions until February of 2021. However, Tanya will be evicted if, in February, her back rent cannot be paid.  (Update, January 2021: Governor Newsom has proposed an extension to the eviction moratorium.  The state legislature is currently considering the proposal.)

What is Tanya’s future?

Although she remains hopeful, Tanya’s condition currently is not curable. That said, there are means to help manage the myriad disabilities resulting from her condition, giving Tanya a viable future. If she can gain enough strength, and lessen her debilitating pain, she will be able to find part-time employment. Along with her federal disability and support from the State of California, Tanya will then move forward. 

The alternative is too horrid to consider: Eviction from her apartment next year for inability to pay her back rent, then living on the streets of Visalia. There, her compromised immune system would surely contract the Corona virus. Without our help, Tanya will not survive.

There is a way forward for Tanya. Here is how you can help...

In Utah, there is renowned healing institute called “The Bridge Recovery Center”. Here, in a residential retreat environment, doctors and therapists help clients to manage a variety of chronic illnesses - including Mialgic Encefalomielitis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Fibromyalgia. The Bridge has been a life-saver for many.

After discussions with Christine Romero, the Intake Specialist at The Bridge; Christine, Tanya and I believe The Bridge is Tanya’s best hope for the treatment to help her to survive. Yes, this is an issue of survival.

Here is a link to The Bridge. You can learn about the treatments Tanya will receive, and view testimonials: TheBridgeRecoveryCenter.com

Our fundraising goal?

We have set a fundraising goal of US$36,000. Of this sum, $20,500 is for a three-week treatment program at The Bridge. Also included in this fee are three months of at-home, follow-up treatments, which are delivered online. The remaining $15,500 provides for Tanya’s rent and living costs for the next 18 months, enabling her to pay her back rent in February, avoid eviction, and supplement the modest State support she receives until her federal disability is approved.

With your help, Tanya intends to begin her treatment at The Bridge as soon as possible.

Friends, please help Tanya. I can think of no one more deserving. Remarkably, despite her dire circumstance, she deports herself with equanimity and grace. Her faith in life - despite all that I have described above - is remarkable to witness. Tanya is a woman who does not deserve the relentless suffering she endures.

Thank you for your support. Every donation - whether large or small - will be gratefully received. An email acknowledging your donation will be sent to you. You  can also “opt-in” for campaign updates.

Note that our fundraising goal is in U.S. dollars and this platform only accepts U.S. funds. However, donations can be made using any credit card, whether American or Canadian. Canadian dollar donations will be converted to U.S. funds.

Finally, please forward this appeal to several of your friends, post the link below to your Facebook page or Twitter feed, and encourage your friends to do the same. Only through casting a wide net can we hope to reach our fundraising goal.

Campaign link:  http://fnd.us/Help_Tanya_Korzenkof?ref=sh_29YiX6

God bless you. And, through you, may God help Tanya.

Sincerely,

Steven Thorne

p.s. If you have any questions about the campaign or about making a donation, please do not hesitate to contact me. My email address is: rsteventhorne1@gmail.com 

 TANYA KORZENKOF, IN 2017, CELEBRATING HER BIRTHDAY.