New Bedford Woman Struggles With Quality of Life as She Battles 2 Chronic Diseases at Once [HOLIDAY WISH]

Holiday Wish returns to Fun 107 for the eighth year as we team up with the United Way of Greater New Bedford to help local families in need.

The families selected had stressful years filled with heartbreak, and through Holiday Wish Week, we hope to come to their aid and provide a brighter holiday to jumpstart a better year ahead.

Our third family of the week comes from New Bedford, where a 38-year-old woman is struggling with her quality of life.

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Kelsey's Story

In 2018, Kelsey Machado was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease and fibromyalgia, two unfortunate diagnoses that impact about 2% of the population. Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the thyroid cells, while fibromyalgia is a chronic, long-lasting disorder that causes pain and tenderness throughout the body, as well as extreme fatigue.

When Machado was diagnosed, her pain was manageable, and she was able to pursue a successful career in interior design and freelance writing. She was forced to make the difficult decision to stop working after her condition worsened.

Machado's boyfriend of 10 years has been her guardian angel, becoming her main caregiver while working full-time.

"Mike is an angel," she said. "He takes such good care of me."

Due to the pain, Machado needs assistance with activities like showering, getting dressed, and leaving the home, and she is no longer able to drive.

How to Help

Machado was having a lot of success with acupuncture in maintaining her pain levels, but unfortunately, it is out of pocket and she can no longer afford it. Her wheelchair "does the job" but gives her issues, and the family car is in need of several repairs.

Machado's and and her boyfriend's goal has been to save as much money as possible to put a down-payment on a home. They live at Machado's mother's home, which is not handicapped-accessible. They hope to save enough money to have a place of their own.

Any amount of money will help improve the quality of life for Machado and her "guardian angel."

Text to Donate to Holiday Wish

Text WISHES22 to 26989. You will be sent a United Way e-link that allows you to make a donation via credit card to this family when you select the day and date of which family you wish to help from the drop-down menu.

Donate By Check to Holiday Wish

Make checks payable to the United Way of Greater New Bedford and in the memo line, write HOLIDAY WISH and the day and date of the family you wish to help. Checks can be mailed to United Way of Greater New Bedford, 128 Union St., Suite 105, New Bedford, MA, 02740.

Donate by Credit Card to Holiday Wish

You can make a secure donation to the United Way via credit card here. Select the day and date of the family you wish to help from the "Please Select a Family" drop-down menu.

All of our families are pre-selected through United Way of Greater New Bedford. If you are in need of assistance, please contact United Way directly.