Emily Progin, Content Manager
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Release: Immediate
COMMUNITY RALLYING TO HELP FUND SURGERY FOR 17-YEAR-OLD
With Help from Community, “Charlee Can Graduate and Attend Prom”
PLEASANT HILL, Mo.—For 17-year-old Charlotte “Charlee” Terrell, the past decade has been a major medical battle. Living with a rare diagnosis, Charlee faces life-impacting health risks and frequent specialized surgery needs. Today, she and her loving family are anticipating major relief through a life-changing surgery in December. However, the surgery is not covered by insurance.
That’s why they’ve started fundraising with the trusted national nonprofit Help Hope Live. Over $7,600 has been raised as of November 30, 2025. Donations are tax deductible at: https://helphopelive.org/campaign/26350/
It would be hard to tell from her smiling, vibrant photographs, but Charlee is living with hypermobile spectrum disorder (HSD), which leads to complex medical challenges. Charlee can walk short distances but uses a wheelchair for longer stretches. Her loving mom Misty Terrell lives with a variation of the same diagnosis.
HSD leads to vascular compression events that can put life-threatening pressure on a patient’s organs as ligaments collapse on top of veins and arteries. Right now, Charlee is living with 4 separate compression issues that require intervention.
“It’s such a rare condition, and so often misdiagnosed, that finding surgeons who are knowledgeable is very challenging,” Misty explained. That’s why their family was filled with hope when they learned an expert in Charlee’s surgery needs was available to operate in December.
The problem? The surgeon is in the Philippines—and insurance won’t cover the cost of the medical travel, the 4-7 weeks of recovery time, and the procedure itself.
That’s why they started a fundraising campaign with the trusted national nonprofit Help Hope Live at https://helphopelive.org/campaign/26350/
Over $7,600 has been raised so far. The funds are critical, because the surgery can’t wait: “The more time that passes, the greater the risk of complications,” Misty explained. “Charlee is in extreme pain right now.”
Charlee’s journey has required not just financial investment from the family but also tireless advocacy as Misty and Jim work to track down the best data-driven options for Charlee’s care and future as she continues to live with a rare and little-known diagnosis.
There’s a ray of hope for some normalcy and joy in Charlee’s life after the December surgery takes place: “We would love to see her attend prom and her graduation in 2026!”
As Misty and Jim acknowledge, community support goes so much deeper than financial help: “We appreciate everyone’s texts, calls, meals, and prayers so much. We couldn’t have come this far without you.”
Unlike a GoFundMe campaign, donations to Help Hope Live are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, and all funds raised will be administered 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 $193 million to pay patient expenses, assisting more than 25,000 patient families. ###
