Single Illinois Mother with Sarcoidosis Starts Crowdfunding Campaign for Help

A single mother from the American Midwest with sarcoidosis has started a crowdfunding campaign on the GoFundMe platform to move to a warmer climate to improve her life.

The campaign has been described as one of GoFundMe’s most important and life-changing of 2017.

Stephanie Jordan of Calumet City, Illinois, was diagnosed with sarcoidosis in 2012. Her life has changed dramatically since then, with her illness having a major impact on her day to day life.

Jordan went from being an active mother who enjoyed going to work to waking up in the morning with so much pain that she is not only unable to work but also unable to play with her children. She has to take 18 pills a day, and on a bad day, 22.

“I was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis over five years ago. It initially started in my lungs, and has spread to my eyes, given me rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, diabetes, etc. Basically my body is breaking down as the disease progresses,” Jordan said, according to a news release.

Jordan was also recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a rheumatic condition characterized by muscular or musculoskeletal pain, stiffness and localized tenderness at specific points in the body.

Jordan can no longer tolerate the falls and winters of the Midwest. The purpose of the campaign is to help her move to a place that offers a more bearable lifestyle, which will make things better for her children as well.

She is asking people to share her campaign on Facebook and other social media. Her goal is to raise $25,000 through the crowdfunding effort.

The campaign will also help raise awareness of sarcoidosis.

For more information about the campaign, and how to donate, please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/incurabie-illness-warm-climate-move. A video is available on the webpage about sarcoidosis causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.

Sarcoidosis is a rare inflammatory disease whose origin is unknown. It can affect many parts of the body, particularly the lungs, lymph nodes and skin. It manifests itself in patches of red and swollen tissue, or granulomas. Sarcoidosis affects about five people out of 100,000.