“God never promised an easy path—but He did promise to walk with us.”

For much of my life, my family and I have been walking a road shaped by chronic illness, pain, and uncertainty. The change didn’t come suddenly. It came slowly, over years of physical struggle and quiet perseverance. Through it all, my faith has been my anchor, reminding me that even in suffering, God is near.

What began as being “the chubby kid” became a lifelong medical journey—one that has tested my body, my strength, and my faith, but has never taken away my hope.

My name is Teresa. I’m a wife and a mom who has always worked hard to care for my family. For as long as I can remember, I’ve lived with daily, debilitating pain and complex medical conditions affecting my nerves, joints, spine, immune system, and overall ability to function.

Over the years, I’ve undergone countless tests, procedures, medications, injections, therapies, and surgeries—doing everything I can to follow treatment plans, stay hopeful, and keep moving forward for my family.

What many didn’t know at the time—and what took years for doctors to fully recognize—was that my weight was not the result of poor choices or a lack of effort. It was a symptom of underlying medical conditions that were repeatedly overlooked.

Like so many patients, my concerns were often dismissed or misattributed to my size rather than investigated more deeply. Eventually, it was discovered that I have a partially empty sella, affecting the pituitary gland that regulates hormones throughout the body. This contributed to metabolic and hormonal dysfunction that impacted my weight, energy, and overall health.

The repeated misdiagnoses and delays did more than prolong my suffering—they allowed disease to progress unchecked. Yet through each misunderstanding and setback, I continued to advocate for answers, guided by faith and the belief that my body was not broken by choice, but deserving of care and truth.

I live with degenerative disc and joint disease, a connective tissue disorder with hypermobility, early-onset osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, inflammatory disease, MCAS, and severe adhesion growths. Nearly every major joint in my body has been affected. My spine has been especially impacted, requiring extensive treatment and a three-level cervical fusion. These conditions cause chronic pain, nerve damage, and physical limitations that affect even the simplest daily tasks.

I’ve also faced serious complications along the way, including a CSF leak from a routine procedure and the removal of a large intermuscular tumor that led to severe complications and left me nearly immobile. With more procedures ahead, each step has taken a physical, emotional, and financial toll.

Despite doing everything I can to manage my health, the financial burden has become overwhelming. Medical bills, imaging, medications, travel to specialists, insurance gaps, becoming labeled permanently disabled and the loss of my job have pushed our family beyond what we can manage alone. On top of this, maintaining my car—my lifeline to appointments, treatment, and independence—has become urgent and critical.

This fundraiser isn’t just about medical bills.
It’s about stability.
It’s about continuing care.
It’s about being able to keep showing up for my family while focusing on healing instead of financial survival.

Asking for help is not easy, but right now, I truly need it. Any donation—no matter the amount—will go directly toward medical and related expenses and help me continue essential treatment and transportation to care.

If you’re unable to give, please consider sharing this campaign or keeping me in your thoughts and prayers. Every act of kindness reminds me that I am not walking this road alone.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for taking the time to read my story and for standing with me during this journey.

With gratitude,
Teresa Lindsay