Emily Progin, Content Manager
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Release: Immediate
COMMUNITY RALLYING TO HELP WOMAN WITH RARE ILLNESSES
After Health Setbacks, “I Continue My Journey to Keep the Faith”
ATLANTA, Ga.—47-year-old Deidria “DeDe” Bowden is no stranger to tragedy or tribulations. A near-fatal car accident left her with complex medical diagnoses that disrupted her healthcare technology degree and left her unable to work—but she holds onto faith and hope. Her Atlanta community is rallying to help DeDe fundraise for critical medical costs through the trusted national nonprofit Help Hope Live.
While pursuing her MA in health care technology, DeDe was a passenger in a car accident. The near-fatal high-speed T-bone wreck left her unconscious with no memory of the impact. “I saw a bright light flash, and then I woke up in the hospital,” she explained.
Within the same period of time, two subsequent hit-and-run accidents further traumatized her body and mind. As a result, DeDe’s life came to a halt.
She had to stop working with no medical prognosis for when she may be able to resume her job, which caused her job to be terminated. She has experienced a gradual and painful decline in her health that has drained her time and her finances as she contends with procedures and surgeries, testing, rehabilitation, and countless out-of-pocket medical bills.
She is now living with the rare chronic condition Addison’s disease as well as chronic pain and multiple other diagnoses, including long-haul COVID-19 symptoms following a life-threatening bout with the illness.
Her weakened immune system leaves DeDe at risk of easily catching life-threatening illnesses. She lives with daily pain, relies on a cane for mobility, and must keep an emergency injection kit on hand at all times.
In the midst of her own medical challenges, DeDe experienced the sudden loss of the love of her life and the passing of her godfather, who she considered her father, in 2022.
Despite all these devastating setbacks, DeDe sets her eyes on hope. “I continue the journey to keep my faith,” she explained. “I know God will strengthen me. My life has been forever changed, but I am persevering and maintaining my strength to fight.”
Resilience is nothing new to DeDe after years of medical hardship—but what is new to her is asking for help.
“I have supported so many fundraisers for others, but I’ve never had to do a fundraiser for myself before,” she explained. As she contends with day-to-day disruptions from mobility issues to a weakened immune system, DeDe must seek out help from others to cover the overwhelming medical costs she has incurred.
That’s why her loved ones started a fundraising campaign with the trusted national nonprofit Help Hope Live. Donations can be made at: https://helphopelive.org/campaign/23858/
For DeDe, hope for the future is simple—it means continuing to give back.
“I want to keep being a safe place for all the young people I mentor,” she explained. “I want to provide them with my testimony to keep pushing forward no matter how challenging life can get. I believe in the abundance of love, grace, and support.”
The most critical costs she is facing include medically safe housing and medical costs associated with three urgent surgical procedures to help her mobility.
Supporting DeDe’s campaign provides not just financial but emotional hope: “Support in any measure is the lifeline I need, affirming that compassion and empathy continue to shine brightly in this world.”
Unlike a GoFundMe campaign, donations to Help Hope Live are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, and all funds raised will be managed by the nonprofit to cover verified medical and related expenses. Help Hope Live verifies medical and financial need for every patient.
Help Hope Live is a national nonprofit that specializes in engaging communities in secure, tax-deductible fundraising campaigns for people who need a transplant or are affected by a catastrophic injury or illness. Since 1983, campaigns organized by Help Hope Live have raised over $188 million to pay patient expenses. ###
