Please Help Me Breathe

Hi, my name is Christina. I’m 18 years old, and every day for me is a struggle just to breathe. I have Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), which has weakened the muscles in my lungs, leaving me constantly short of breath. I also have Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES), which are exhausting, unpredictable, and make daily life even harder. I am wheelchair-bound, and I need my oxygen levels checked constantly because they stay dangerously low both day and night.

There have been moments that scared everyone around me, like the time at school when I stopped breathing and had to be rushed in an ambulance. I needed CPR in the ambulance just to survive. I almost lost my life that day. Every day, I pray for a miracle just to keep breathing. My lungs are weak, my energy is limited, and I feel trapped inside my own body at times. Even simple things that others take for granted, like walking across a room or taking a deep breath, are enormous challenges for me.

I urgently need a CPAP machine. This device could help my lungs get the oxygen they need, keep my oxygen levels stable, and give me a chance at a safer, more normal life. My medical appointment isn’t until June, but I cannot wait that long. Every day without it is a risk to my life.

This is more than a fundraiser. This is a lifeline. Your donation, your prayers, and even sharing my story can make a real difference. Every bit brings me closer to the help I desperately need, to a breath I can take without fear, and to the hope of living more fully.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me breathe, for helping me live.

— Christina