The family of a Newhall woman with the autoimmune disease scleroderma has set up a GoFundMe Page to help pay for medical bills that are not covered by her insurance.

Yesenia Garcia, 25, of Newhall, first began experiencing symptoms of scleroderma around 5 years ago and has since experienced a drastic physical change, now weighing only 74 pounds, according to her sister Brenda Garcia.

“She was diagnosed a few years ago, but it took a long time to get a diagnosis,” said Garcia.

Scleroderma describes a group of rare diseases that involve the hardening and tightening of the skin and connective tissues. For Yesenia, this has led to around six hospitalizations and three major surgeries this year alone.

While there is no cure for scleroderma, a variety of treatments can ease symptoms and improve quality of life.

Yesenia is now home after being hospitalized for nearly a month due to complications with her gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The hospital released her because they were unable to find any solutions and thought it was better for her to be at home, according to her sister.

Yesenia’s doctors recommended for her to go to UCLA for specialized treatment, prompting the family to start a GoFundMe in preparation for medical bills while they search for a GI doctor.

“The medications that she was given by the doctors unfortunately did not get covered by her current insurance, so we are asking if any of you can help in any way,” said Garcia. “We also ask to keep praying for her so that she will get treated by the best doctors and that they will have wisdom beyond our imagination.”

Garcia hopes that her sister would be able to find the treatment she needs in order to improve her quality of life.

“She has a big support system, but as you can imagine she has had a lot of ups and downs. This year has been the most challenging,” said Garcia. “She really wanted to go back to school this year, but had to stop due to surgery and health, she had to withdraw.”

To donate to Yesenia’s GoFundMe page, click here.

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