Heather J Fitzsimmons

Family and friends of Heather Fitzsimmons are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with a catastrophic illness; Long Covid. Heather has chosen to fundraise with Help Hope Live in part because donations are tax deductible for contributors and will only be used to cover medical and related expenses.

Heather is a 54-year-old empty nester who was in a masters program to get a degree in professional mental health counseling. In July 2023, she had her first Covid infection that seemed like a cold. But she had symptoms of Long Covid that were somewhat manageable. In Dec 2024 she had her second Covid infection. By May of 2025 her symptoms were so severe that she could no longer work, socialize, or take care of some activities of daily living. After almost a year of being on LTD and losing her housing, going through 8 doctors, she got a diagnosis of Long Covid in April 2026.

Heather loved spending time with her dog Tucker in dog parks, swimming, reading, writing, and doing yoga. She has a BA in psychology and has had many positions in the mental health field and loves helping other people. She hopes to finish her master’s in professional mental health counseling if she can get her Long Covid symptoms under control. She has a daughter who is a college student at a local college who is planning on transferring to MU, which is Heather’s alma mater. Before her illness, they spend a lot of time together at the Farmer’s Market, ax throwing, going out for tea, swimming and enjoying dog parks.

Heather has over 25 symptoms of Long Covid. Heather has migraines up to 4 times a week. The medication makes her more tired and gives her more brain fog. Migraine preventatives have made her sicker. She has extreme fatigue, dizziness, and gastrointestinal issues that make her unable to eat a normal variety of foods and cause nausea and a lot of intractable pain that medications don’t help. Brain fog is another problem. She forgets words, forgets where she puts things, has trouble learning new things and following detailed instructions. She currently has no income as her long-term disability was terminated and the social security process can take years. She is completely unable to work even part time. There are times when events like taking a shower, getting blood drawn, walking into a store or eating a sandwich can cause severe pain, dizziness, and feeling like she is about to pass out.  Every morning she wakes up not knowing if she is going to be stuck in bed or if she is going to lose yet another part of her life like her dog due to symptoms and lack of funds.

Last year Heather spent over $2500 out of pocket on prescriptions with Marketplace insurance. She now has referrals for OT, PT and speech which Medicaid won’t cover at Wash U. Unfortunately Medicaid doesn’t cover these treatments for Long Covid.

She was able to do some acupuncture which is one of the things that helps the most but costs $75 a visit. There are no medical professionals in Columbia MO who will treat Long Covid so Heather will have travel expenses to go to St. Louis for OT, PT, speech, neurology and to go to a GI specialist depending on what Medicaid covers. There are also supplements that have been helpful like CBD/G oil, large doses of vitamin D, B, and glutamine. Electrolytes are also helpful, but it is difficult finding basic brands that don’t irritate her GI system. She would like to do gentle yoga and red-light therapy as well.

Heather hopes that being able to go to PT, OT, speech, GI doc and neurology will lessen her Long Covid symptoms so that she can eventually work a full-time job and finish her master’s degree in professional mental health counseling. She would like to have hobbies and a social life, travel, and be able to make plans of time for events and activities. She would like to get a license to be a professional counselor so she can help other people who need help.

Heather’s best friend through the last 6 years has been her dog, Tucker. She lives in a shelter and has to find a foster family to take him in. She misses him every day and he cries for her every time she is well enough to visit him. She desperately wants to be able to work again so she can get her own place and be reunited with her best dog friend.

Please, if you have moved to, donate to Help Hope Live in Heather’s honor today, and please ask your friends and family to give, too! HHL can plan a fundraising event in Heather’s honor, too! If you are interested in learning more, please contact Heather at [email protected]. Your generous support can get her back on the road to being a therapist someday and getting her dog back where he belongs, with his best human friend.