Last April, Claire Celski was living the life of your average teenager, a sophomore attending Hill Murray Catholic School in Maplewood, MN.
Claire’s mother received a call from her school nurse. Clair, who has allergies to almonds and peanuts, developed puffy lips after sipping a friend’s almond milk, though her breathing was fine. Claire’s mom gave her Benedryl and took her home, though she admits she probably should have administered one of the two EpiPens Claire carried in her purse. The symptoms resolved and everything was fine.
Then, in May, Claire’s life took a turn for the worse.
She began suffering random attacks whereby she loses consciousness, her breathing stops, and her blood pressure drops to dangerously low levels, all hallmarks of anaphylactic shock caused by a food, medication or insect sting, except that these triggers have been ruled out by her medical team.
Clair has been diagnosed as suffering from “Idiopathic Anaphylaxis”, which translates into anaphylaxis for which the cause is unknown.
According to the GoFundMe page set up in her behalf:
When an attack occurs, Claire needs immediate emergency medical intervention before she is transported to Children’s Hospital. Claire’s life-threatening attacks mean that:
- Claire cannot fly commercially.
- Claire cannot drive or travel any significant distance in a car.
- Claire is not able to work or socialize outside of her home.
- Claire can only spend limited hours at school, and Claire can never, ever be alone.
To date, no treatments have worked for Claire. Her medical team is diligently working with doctors, scientists, and experts throughout the country to identify experimental treatments that may help Claire’s condition, as well as working through the appeal process through the insurance company. The family has endured significant, unexpected, out-of-pocket medical costs and wage loss trying to find answers and care for her. To date, Claire’s medical expenses have exceeded hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Claire’s CaringBridge.org page details a daunting timeline of myriad reactions, hospital admissions, tests, trials with numerous immunologic agents, experimental treatments, potential diagnoses, layoffs, tens of thousands of dollars in medical costs and negotiations with the insurance company.
Please visit Claire’s GoFundMe page and consider making a donation to help defray the massive costs of her medical care:
