THE PROBLEM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Crystal is a mom of 2 young kiddos in the Austin, TX area. After very difficult pregnancies, she had an explosion of symptoms and collected diagnoses like Pokemon. The big three are Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS, a degenerative connective tissue disorder made worse by pregnancy), Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS, overactive immune system causing a variety of issues), and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS, where the body isn't able to return blood from your legs when you stand up causing a rapid heart rate and low blood pressure, which is exhausting to the body without ever having to move). These issues have had a giant impact on Crystal's mobility, and ability to be the kind of Mom she thought she was signing up for when undergoing IVF. She has permanent handicap parking, is now a wheelchair user, struggles to get down to the floor to play and back up again when she used to swing dance 3 nights a week, doing outdoor activities is only possible at sub-80 degree temps, and daily showers are a memory. Her spouse is the primary caregiver for anything physical, from cooking and making lunches, to laundry, to bath time for the kids. After years of treatment, there were still symptoms that couldn't be explained. After traveling out of state to an EDS specialist, she was told that she also needed to meet with a Lipedema specialist. Two weeks ago she again traveled out of state due to lack of care available locally, and received a diagnosis of Stage 3 Lipedema (of 4) and Stage 1 Lymphedema (of 4, 0-3) throughout her arms, trunk and legs. The amazing news is her POTS, Fibromyalgia, and Arthritis diagnoses are likely incorrect and treatment of the Lipedema would restore a LOT of mobility and function - including problems with heat intolerance. Pain would largely be eliminated along with 17 of the pills she's currently taking daily. Core strength could finally be addressed which would improve herniated discs and spinal stenosis which is pulling on the spinal cord. THE PLAN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ She has started conservative measures increasing the level of compression garments she wears (for POTS), lymphatic drainage massage, some medications and procuring a pump. Having hit her out of pocket max (for in network providers) for the year, she is able to get a lot of this covered. She is also seeing a vascular surgeon in-network to address complications in her leg veins contributing to the problem. She's currently on a wait list to be seen sooner than September. She has met with a Lipedema surgeon who has reviewed her case in depth and has identified 4 surgeries that need to occur. The first 3 are a specialized form of liposuction that will also break down and remove the fibrotic/scar tissue. Only 1% of patients have this grow back. The procedures are technically plastic surgery but qualify as medically necessary under policy, but the catch is there are almost no specialists who accept insurance for a variety of reasons. Crystal would need to pay for the surgery up front and then submit the procedure as out of network for reimbursement. It is July and she's still waiting on reimbursement from a claim in March. Additionally, despite living in a capitol city with a major research university, again there are no local surgeons with the expertise for those 3 surgeries. Crystal will need to travel for each procedure and pay for a room and ground transportation for a week. She'll also need a companion for post-op care. Michael will need to stay with the kids and run everything on his own. Insult to injury, Crystal lost her job due to bias about her disabilities. The family has enough to pay the bills through December, but no extra to put towards these procedures. They have been fortunate enough to date to pay up front for the specialists and out of state travel to access proper care - paying over $30k out of pocket this year alone. Unfortunately, that is now not an option, and financing isn't possible without a job for steady income to get approved. The pressing issue is with the Lymphedema. It is bordering on stage 2. The Lipedema material is beginning to compartmentalize and cut off lymphatic pathways in the arms and knees. Even with removal of the Lipedema material, the Lymphedema would be permanent due to damage if it progresses much further. Order of Work ? - Possibly vascular work to be done first before any work on the legs. This would be done in Austin, in-network. 1 - Lipo the lower legs, arms and pelvic girdle - this is the highest priority to stop the Lymphedema progression - technically 2 procedures but can be done in the same trip 2 - Lipo the torso, from pubis to armpit, all the way around 360. This is to remove lipedema material only. Because it's such a big area and so much is being done, the abdominoplasty work cannot be done at the same time and must heal for at least 3 months minimum before that work can be done. 3 - Lipo the thighs and the rest of the knees. 4 - Abdominoplasty to repair a 3cm tear in the abdomen and to remove skin that is causing recurring issues. This can likely be done in the Austin area, in-network. 5 - Possible skin excision in the future if needed. Not covered by insurance unless it is causing medical problems. Would do locally in Austin. Goal is to do this all in 2026 to have it done in one calendar year and only have to meet out of pocket once. In a perfect world, Crystal is working at a company that uses Aetna. Her provider has a negotiated rate, but is still reimbursed - requiring up front payment. Costs as we know them - please see https://tinyurl.com/Cost-Breakdown-Analysis for the details! Up front costs include procedure, pre and post requirements, and travel. Trip 1: Arms, Calves, Hips and Pelvic Girdle Up front - $50,130 Reimbursable - $14,680 Trip 2: Torso Up front - $25,180 Reimbursable - $23,800 Trip 3: Thighs Up front - $36,680 Reimbursable - $26,300 GRAND TOTAL Up Front - $111,990 Total Cost to Family - $47,210 THE ASK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * We are targeting a goal of $75k in order to cover the first two trips as they will be 5 weeks apart and time to reimburse from insurance can be delayed. We will be keeping track of donations and expenses as transparently as possible and return funds proportionately or forward them to a charity of your choice. We've posted links here for Venmo, CashApp, and Paypal to make it easiest for people to donate, but also to avoid the fees of traditional crowdfunding sites so that all money given goes to the cause. You can also reach out directly to give through other means. It will all be tracked here: https://tinyurl.com/Donor-Tracking * With SO MANY out of work and money tight, we know not everyone who wants to help can give - just sharing it with others is an appreciated gesture. * We will update the calendar with needs like supporting Michael with the kids when I'm out of town for the procedures, and post updates as the situation evolves. * Donations of credit card points and travel points would also be huge for booking the travel. If you're in LA, and have the space to host 2 people without it being a burden, that could bring down a huge chunk of the travel expense that won't be reimbursed. * Crystal will also need a companion for the trips (factored into the travel cost) - being able to accompany and support post-op care is also a huge need.