Hi, I’m Julie Rowland, Ellie’s Mom. Ellie is currently 19 years old. Almost 6 years ago, she was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. She has spent all of her teen years fighting this disease, but now she is ready to win – to actually heal! And we have found a way… Read on to see how you can help.
Ellie has wanted to go after Crohn’s Disease at its root —> the underlying infection that has been elusive to this point. <— We have not had a medical team who knew how to address autoimmunity this way before, but now (((drumroll, please))) Ellie has been accepted into an International Autoimmune Institute that treats the root causes of autoimmunity, and she has an amazing doctor who is experienced in this protocol. We have been searching a long time to find an opportunity like this. Ellie is elated!
You see, the drugs that are typically used to treat Crohn’s Disease shut down her immune system – it’s just how they work. Cancer and infections are common side effects. Even with these drugs, Ellie is still in daily pain, and they do not control her symptoms enough to have a normal young adult life. They work so poorly for her that she now also has a diagnosis of Ulcerative Colitis on top of Crohn’s. She continually develops antibodies to the drugs and must then change to a new one. They do not cure, only band-aid symptoms. Sigh. It’s a no-win game. And, to complicate matters…
When Ellie recently learned that she will not be able to have children while on these drugs, and that without drastic improvement in her health she will not be able to maintain a pregnancy, she knew that something had to change. She loves children and would like to one day marry and have a family. So, on with the plan!
Even though Ellie has been enrolled in the protocol, she can’t go forward with it on her own. She is seeking financial help for her care. She does not have health insurance and does not qualify for Medicaid in our state, so she needs help. (The new doctor at the Autoimmune Institute is in another state, so Medicaid wouldn’t cover it anyways.) She isn’t yet healthy enough to work, but is hoping to start college next semester, which is another reason she wants to be healthy.
She needs around $5,000 to start (there are a ton of labs at the beginning, then they become more spaced out), then roughly $1,000 per month following. She hopes this will cover the doctor’s care, labs and prescribed supplements. She is hoping that two years of working with this hospital will get Ellie back to vibrant health and a normal young adult life. This protocol is only expected to last a couple of years (Lord willing and the creeks and all) but compared to $16,000 per dose of the Crohn’s drugs every 8 weeks for the rest of her life, it is a steal. Ellie’s quality of life will also be greatly improved – Lord willing, she’ll be able to eat, sleep, study, work and live like others her age.
She has been through so much. This young lady with a beautiful soul deserves a normal life. Some of you may remember her story from when she was first diagnosed back in 2020. Trust me, it is a lot.
If you are able to help with a financial donation, know that it is tax deductible on this site and it would be greatly appreciated. If you are not able to help financially, there may be something else you can do to help lessen her costs (or her burdens):
- Prayer for real, deep healing, both from the Crohn’s infection(s) and the effects of the first six years of drugs that were administered.
- Pray that her heart will be filled with hope and peace as she walks through the protocol. There was a lot of trauma involved in being this sick as a teen. Abba heal her heart!
- She needs a doctor in Central Texas who can order labs for her at Baylor, Scott and White Hospital. The doctor at the Autoimmune Institute will tell us which labs are needed. Know anyone who would be willing to help?
- She needs a vehicle to drive, so if you have an old one you don’t need, let us know.
- Ideas for grants to cover a smidge of college costs over her Pell grant, only for her first year in Texas. Figures to come soon, hopefully by mid-March.
It may seem like a lot to ask for, but her need is great and she serves a really big God. We know that He will care for Ellie’s needs, we’re just grabbing popcorn to watch how He does it! Check back in for updates if you want to see how He does it, too. 🙂
When you click on “Donate Now”, (after you put in your donation amount) below your amount is a sliding dot to add a donation for the hosting organization. This is not required.
To *just* donate to Ellie’s fund:
1) Under the sliding dot, click “Custom Amount”
2) Physically type in $0.00 (even though it already has zeroes showing) and you’ll see the bottom totals show zero extra donations.
I hope that helps! Thank you so, so much!!!