A devoted husband is desperately fundraising for his “tireless” wife who is battling a cruel and life-threatening illness that causes agonising wounds.
Laura Abbott is fighting calciphylaxis, a rare, severe and often fatal condition linked to kidney disease.
The 42-year-old also suffers complications from chronic kidney disease and has endured years of painful health battles, multiple surgeries and wounds that refuse to heal.
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Mum-of-one Laura was hospitalised in September but now needs specialist equipment after finally being allowed to return home.
Her husband Adam has launched a GoFundMe page in a bid to raise $3,500 (around £2,600) to help cover the costs of her care.
At the time of writing it had raised $1,530 (around £1,100).
Adam and Laura. (Jam Press/Adam Abbott)
“I’m fundraising for my incredible wife, Laura,” Adam, 40, who is now a full-time carer, told Creatorzine.
“She is fighting calciphylaxis, a rare and extremely painful condition, along with complications from chronic kidney disease.
“We desperately need help for her long-term recovery.
“This isn’t a new fight for her.
“It’s a marathon of medical challenges that have been going on for many years.
“Laura’s strength has been tested by at least seven separate surgical procedures in the last year alone, with various procedures and anesthesia events becoming a frequent part of our lives.
“Her weeks are filled with back-to-back appointments and infusions, with a range of specialists, from nephrology and cardiology to wound care and physiatry.
“She is constantly being treated by different doctors, ranging from internal medicine to infectious disease, and everything in between.”
Her most recent health crisis began after an unexpected setback following surgery earlier this year.
Adam, of Reno, Nevada, said: “Just three days after a surgical procedure and two days after her birthday on June 18 she was rushed to the hospital with a high fever and severe pain.
“This led to the discovery of a systemic fungal infection that landed her in the ICU for 18 days where we almost lost her.
“She spent a total of 64 days in the hospital before finally being released on August 26.
“Our relief was short-lived.
“Just one week later on 3 September we were back in the hospital.
“Laura was readmitted with symptoms resembling necrotising fasciitis, a devastating flesh-eating disease.”
Laura wounds showing signs of recovery after extensive medical care. (Jam Press/Adam Abbott)
It was during that hospital stay that doctors discovered the real cause.
Adam explained: “It was during this hospitalisation that she was diagnosed with calciphylaxis, a rare, severe and often fatal condition.
“While it typically affects 1%-4% of patients already on dialysis, it has a staggering 1-year mortality rate of 45%-80%.
“This is a life-threatening condition that causes calcium to build up in the blood vessels, cutting off blood flow and leading to excruciating, non-healing wounds.”
While the symptoms can look similar to flesh-eating diseases, calciphylaxis is actually a vascular and metabolic condition linked to severe kidney dysfunction.
What makes Laura’s case even more unusual is that the condition typically appears in patients who are already on dialysis.
Laura wounds showing signs of recovery after extensive medical care. (Jam Press/Adam Abbott)
Adam said: “In medical school, doctors are taught: ‘When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.’
“A ‘zebra’ is a rare diagnosis.
“But Laura isn’t a horse, and she isn’t even a zebra.
“She is a medical unicorn.
“Calciphylaxis usually only affects patients already on dialysis.
“Laura is unique and exceptionally rare because she developed this while still at Stage 4 Kidney Disease, before even starting dialysis.”
He said the devastating diagnosis came after a lifetime of complex health issues.
Adam explained: “This was triggered by a perfect storm of lifelong health battles, including the autoimmune disease dermatomyositis, which she was diagnosed with as a young child.
“Over 30 years of necessary medication to suppress her immune system has severely complicated her body’s ability to fight infections.
Laura wounds showing signs of recovery after extensive medical care. (Jam Press/Adam Abbott)
“These lifelong treatments, often involving high-dose steroids, have wreaked havoc on her body over the decades.
“She currently has stage 4 kidney disease, and the family is in consultation with her nephrologist regarding the transition to dialysis.”
The impact of the illness has also taken an emotional toll on their family.
Adam said the situation has been particularly hard on their son Harland, 20, who moved out of the family home in October.
He said: “The timing has been incredibly heavy.
“Harland moved out to start adult life just as the crisis was peaking.
“It’s a lot for a 20-year-old to navigate, starting your life while your mother is fighting a rare, life-threatening disease.
“It has forced us all to cherish the small days.”
The illness has also brought serious financial strain.
Adam said: “Financially, the disruption has been total.
“The hidden costs of chronic illness and the loss of income create a crater that takes years to climb out of.
“We’ve had to sacrifice financial stability and career goals just to ensure Laura has a chance of a quality life at home.”
Caring for Laura has also taken a heavy toll on him personally.
He said: “Coping means living one hour at a time.
“You transition from being a husband to being a medical technician, then back to being a dad.
“You run on adrenaline until you can’t.
“You don’t really ‘cope’ so much as you just keep moving, because you know she’s counting on you.
“Calciphylaxis has a staggering mortality rate, often cited at over 50% in the first year of diagnosis.
“We aren’t looking for a simple ‘fix’ because there isn’t one for a 30-year autoimmune history.
“We are fighting for stability.
“We are fighting to keep her kidneys functioning as long as possible and to heal the wounds caused by the calcification.”
He said the fundraiser is simply about helping the family survive day to day.
Adam said: “The funds from the GoFundMe are strictly about survival.
“They’re about keeping a roof over our heads and ensuring Laura has the accessible tools she needs.
Laura wounds showing signs of recovery after extensive medical care. (Jam Press/Adam Abbott)
“Every day she is home and stable is a win for us.”
Despite the devastating illness, Adam says his wife’s strength continues to inspire him.
He said: “Our days are consumed by intense wound care, managing the metabolic imbalances caused by her kidneys, and trying to keep further infections at bay.
“The pain she endures is immense.
“Laura is a loving mother, a caring friend and the most resilient person I have ever known.
“She has an incredible sense of humour and a joyful spirit that shines through even in her most difficult moments.
“This is who Laura is, full of life and love, despite everything she’s been through.”
He added that the out-of-pocket costs associated with her long-term recovery are quickly adding up.
Adam added: “Donations will go directly toward essential expenses not covered by insurance.”
These include accessibility equipment such as a wheelchair, a medical ramp and a shower chair.
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