Celia Gallop Batts

Hello everyone, as some may know I have been battling a rare autoimmune disease called scleroderma since 2009. Back then there were no medications to help with pain management or other symptoms that come along with it. Systemic Scleroderma is characterized by hardening and tightening of the skin it also effects blood vessels and internal organs. It is caused by the body creating too much collagen. This causes me to have thicker skin which impacts connective tissue and blood circulation. For years I managed the symptoms the best I could.

On April 25,2024 I had a Scleroderma crisis, my body started to fail me. My legs and feet were swollen and I couldn’t walk, my lungs felt like I was drowning. I was experiencing congestive heart failure CHF. My fingers tips had ulcers and my hands were swollen. My blood pressure was dangerously high, and I went into renal failure. My son took me to a hospital, and they said that if I would have waited one more day to come in, I would have had to be on dialysis for the rest of my life. Though they did not have everything that I needed they stabilized me and began pain management meds. I was there for a week, and they discharged me encouraging me to go be seen at Duke.

I left there on oxygen and headed to Duke University Hospital. By Duke being a school of medicine they knew all about the disease and how to treat it. They began pain management meds along with meds to help slow down what was happening to my organs. They kept me for a little over a week. Being hospitalized for over two weeks caused me to lose mobility so I had to learn how to walk all over again. They provided physical therapy to help me with that before I could go home.

Currently I see 4 specialists that help monitor my Scleroderma. I am on 10 medications for my organs and pain management. I am also on 24/7 oxygen because my lungs are damaged. It has been 2 years since the crisis, and I have had to use more oxygen than I started out using. I’m going through weeks of evaluations at Duke in preparation for a double lung transplant.

They require me to relocate to Durham to be closer to the hospital and the pulmonary rehab facility. I will also have to live in Durham for 4 to 6 months while I heal from transplant surgery. I have to relocate in order to get on the waitlist for the transplant. Donating to this cause will help with relocation, medications that insurance may not cover, travel and living expenses. I thank God every day for those who have been there for me along this journey.

Thank you in advance for your love and generosity. It means so much to me. God bless you all.