Crowdfunding Campaign To Help Tammie Evans Get A Wheelchair Van || Rheumatoid Arthritis #RA

Crowdfunding Campaign To Benefit Tammie Evans 

articles excerpted from theradiva.com

Tammie Evans had a very full life, she camped, fished, enjoyed her seven year old son, worked two jobs plus maintained and drove her own drag racing car; getting sick was the last thing on her mind. Sadly, that was the last month of health she saw.

The next month she was robbed at work. The assailants used pepper spray in her eyes, threw her in a broom closet and threatened her life. While her eyes recovered from the trauma, the rest of her didn’t. PTSD set in and a year later she found herself unable to stand, her knees were on fire with pain. As so often happens, the stress triggered the rheumatoid arthritis gene that she carried.

While trying to find a DMARD (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug) that would work for her, Tammie was on steroid medications to control her symptoms. The disease itself plus the weight gain from the medications made it impossible to work and, like 50% of people with RA, by August, 1998, she was declared permanently disabled. Finding a medication that works can be a long process and up to 40% of patients do not respond to any medication. In Tammie’s case it took nine years. In 2006 her doctor finally found a medication that controlled her disease and slowly tapered her steroids down.

Often one condition leads to another and this was the case for Tammie. Her weight gain led to acid reflux which was controlled by Nexium. Both Nexium and steroids decrease bone mineral density and in 2010, Tammie fell backwards which caused compression fractures in several of her vertebrae putting her into a wheelchair.

Since 2010, she has pretty much been housebound. She desperately needs a handicapped van so that she can regain some independence. The estimated cost is $12,000. With the limited funds she receives from disability, it will be impossible for her to pay the additional expense that comes with modifying a van for a wheelchair. Little luxuries like grocery shopping and hair appointments that we all take for granted would mean the world to her. In addition, Tammie cares for her mother.  

Click here to help Tammie get a wheelchair van