I’m Amanda — a medical assistant, mom, researcher, and rare disease patient fighting through a brutal medical storm no one prepared me for. I live with multiple progressive conditions: MNGIE and MELAS (mitochondrial disorders), hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, suspected ALS with dementia features, MCAS, vascular and neuromuscular issues, and severe GI and neurological complications. My genetics are stacked against me — but I still get up and work. I’ve been denied disability and government aid because I “make too much” — even though I’m collapsing inside. I’m caught in the in-between: too sick to survive this pace, but not allowed to stop. Every lab, scan, and hospital visit proves I’m deteriorating, but I’m still being told to wait, to apply again, or to just keep going. I’m still standing — barely — and still fighting. But I can’t do this alone anymore. Every bit of support helps me cover food, meds, gas, and mounting medical debt. If you can help or share, it means more than I can ever say. This isn’t a pity page. It’s a lifeline. —Amanda Lucille