Treatment fund for Pastor Sam
Goal:
USD $10,000
Raised:
USD $3,610
Campaign funds will be received by Samantha Shreve
Treatment fund for Pastor Sam
UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!
Hey friends,
We’ve finally seen a spark of progress in my wife’s healing journey — and we’re so thankful.
Dr. Davis, our chiropractor who specializes in functional neurology and advanced kinesiology, has been a huge blessing. His work on her nervous system, along with targeted supplements and food testing, has helped her regain a bit of strength. She’s moving more steadily now, and while it’s slow, it’s real progress — no longer falling into walls every time she walks. We’re grateful for every small win.
She also started a new medication called Nurtec ODT, originally developed for migraines but now used off-label for Long Covid. It blocks a pain protein in the nervous system and has brought some relief — enough for her to leave the house twice in the past two weeks, which is huge after being mostly homebound for months. Getting insurance to cover this $3,000/month med was a miracle in itself!
But here’s the truth: Nurtec is just a bandaid. It’s helping her survive the storm, not stop it. It doesn’t fix the deep immune and cellular damage her body is still fighting. We’re thankful — but we know it’s temporary.
Because of these changes, we’re confident we can now move forward with Plan B — The Kaplan Center in Virginia. When we started this fundraiser, she was homebound and Spero Clinic felt like the only hope. But now, with new light and real momentum, we’ve removed Spero from our goal and are fully focused on Kaplan.
Kaplan specializes in exactly what she needs next: post-viral recovery, immune repair, and deep internal healing. We believe their approach can take her from barely functioning to truly healing.
The initial intake and diagnostic testing at Kaplan costs $7,000+. When we factor in travel, lodging, and transportation for multiple visits, our new goal is $10,000 — just to get her started with the care she truly needs.
Thank you for standing with us — in prayer, in giving, and in hope. We still believe God is healing, and we believe Kaplan may be the place He uses next to finish what He’s started.
With hope,
Joel
Original post:
My wife is a woman of extraordinary faith and strength—the heart of our family and a devoted servant of God. For over a decade, she poured her life into ministry, pastoring, mentoring, and mothering with joy and purpose.
But now, she faces a battle no one saw coming.
After a massive saddle pulmonary embolism almost took her life 2.5 years ago, she now lives with post-pulmonary embolism syndrome (PPES), ME/CFS, Long COVID, chronic pleurisy and POTS. Once vibrant and full of energy—hiking, swimming, playing volleyball with our kids—she now struggles with daily pain, overwhelming fatigue, and tasks as simple as showering leave her in pain and needing to rest immediately. The shift has been heartbreaking to witness and the last six months we have watched her decline even more.
We are a large family—five children, three still under our care at home, and our precious granddaughter, whom we are raising full-time. My wife continues to be the center of it all, even while enduring profound physical suffering. She homeschools, nurtures, comforts, and fights to be present, even when her body is shutting down. The weight she carries is immense, and yet she presses on in faith being a living example to us all.
Though her body is weary, her spirit remains strong. She still volunteers in small ways doing some minor admin work for our local church when she can, but her heart aches to return to full-time ministry—her God-given calling.
We believe in a God who heals and restores—who often works through the hands and hearts of others. My wife urgently needs access to holistic, root-cause-focused care from The Spero Clinic in Arkansas, nearly 1,000 miles from our home—a place that offer real, lasting hope for recovery. Another option, if we can get her stronger is Kaplan Center in Virginia, they offer root-cause-focused treatments very different than Spero but holistic in its approach. These treatments are not covered by insurance, and she’s been recommended for a minimum of 20 weeks of intensive residential care at Spero or biweekly visits at Kaplan for a minimum of 6 months.
Right now, we’re simply asking for help covering the cost of her medical treatment. We are personally working to raise funds for housing and travel so she can receive the care she desperately needs.
We’re asking for your prayers above all—and if God puts it on your heart, financial support. Every gift goes directly toward her treatment and a path back to health, ministry and a family having her back!
Your love, prayers, and generosity mean more than words can say. We’re clinging to 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 and trusting in God’s timing:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
May God bless you abundantly for your kindness and generosity. Thank you for standing with us and supporting us through this very challenging time.
Recent Donations
Praying for you
Glad Davis Family Chiropractic has had the opportunity to be a part of your journey.
Praying for you as you travel the road Sam! Sending love and hugs ❤️
Praying for you Samantha!
💚
May God comfort you and give you daily strength. You are so precious in His sight.
Praying healing over you.
Love you dearly, my beautiful friend!
Love you and praying for you. ❤️
In Jesus's name, let the healing begin!
We’re praying with you & praying for God to supply all that you need.
May the Lord supply all your needs.
Praying for you to feel whole again, and be able to move and serve freely as God leads you to do. Jehovah Rapha heal her body.
Praying for your recovery… love Joe and Sherri
Updates
Update #2
June 19th, 2025
It’s been a little while since our last update, but I wanted to take a moment to share where we are — and to ask for continued prayer and support as we press forward.
We’re seeing some change in my wife’s condition — but please hear me, this isn’t the breakthrough we’re waiting for. She’s been prescribed Nurtec, a neurologist-prescribed medication that’s helped mask a portion of her pain. It’s not a cure — it’s a temporary bandaid that offers short moments of relief. And while we’re grateful for even the smallest break in the storm, the reality is: we still have a long way to go.
She’s still crashing after the simplest tasks — even a walk to the bathroom can wipe her out. Balance issues are a daily struggle, and the emotional toll of missing out on so many family moments has been heartbreaking. There are still tears, still deep pain, and still many days spent stuck at home.
Dr. Davis — her chiropractor and functional neurologist — has been an answer to prayer. He’s adjusted her diet to reduce inflammatory foods, and that’s helped ease some of the constant pain and pressure in her body. His treatment is giving us the first real direction we’ve had. But as we’ve said before — even that isn’t the full solution. It’s one piece in a much larger healing puzzle.
The next step remains The Kaplan Center in Virginia — a place that can dive deep into the complex, immune-rooted layers of her illness. That’s where we’re focused. And the intake and diagnostic process alone is $7,000, not including travel, follow-ups, and treatment.
We’re so grateful for everyone who has donated, shared, and prayed for us. Truly. It’s meant more than we can ever say. We have some exciting local fundraising events coming up, thanks to friends and family stepping up in huge ways. Stay tuned for that.
But we’re still in need. Still holding on. Still believing that God is writing a better ending than what we’re living through right now.
If you’re able, please consider giving — or even just sharing our page. Every bit helps us get one step closer to real healing.
With gratitude and hope,
we love you all,
Joel
Update #1
April 26th, 2025
Hi guys, I have been asked to give some clarity on the diagnosis, so let me try and explain each one a little bit.
Long Covid is when people stay sick for months or years after getting Covid. It causes damage to the mitochondria, immune system, nervous system, and circulation. It looks a lot like ME/CFS and PoTS.
Main symptoms:
• Severe fatigue and weakness
• Shortness of breath and chest pain
• Brain fog and memory issues
• Dizziness, fast heart rate, and blood pressure problems
• Pain, sleep problems, and digestive issues
Truths to know:
• Long Covid is real and physical, not anxiety or fear-based.
• It’s often from a toxic immune overreaction, spike protein damage, or reactivation of old viruses.
ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) is a serious physical illness where the body can’t make energy properly. It mainly damages the mitochondria (energy centers of cells), the nervous system, and the immune system.
Main symptoms:
• Extreme exhaustion that rest doesn’t fix
• Getting much worse after small activities (called Post-Exertional Malaise)
• Brain fog and memory problems
• Sleep that doesn’t refresh you
• Pain, dizziness, digestive issues, and sensitivity to light/sound
Truths to know:
• ME/CFS is real and physical, not “in your head.”
• It’s often triggered by infections, toxins, or trauma.
PPES (Post Pulmonary Embolism Syndrome) is when people stay sick after having a blood clot in their lungs (pulmonary embolism). Even after the clot is gone, the body stays damaged — especially the lungs, heart, and nervous system.
Main symptoms:
• Constant chest pain and breathing problems
• Fast heart rate and palpitations
• Severe fatigue and weakness
• Dizziness and exercise intolerance
• Anxiety from the body staying in “high alert” mode
Truths to know:
• PPES is real and physical, not just fear or trauma.
• It happens because the clot injury causes lasting damage to tissues and blood flow.
Chronic pleurisy is when the lining around your lungs (the pleura) stays inflamed for a long time. This causes constant chest pain and trouble breathing, even without infection or active illness.
Main symptoms:
• Sharp or stabbing chest pain, especially when breathing in
• Shortness of breath or feeling like you can’t get a deep breath
• Constant tightness or pressure in the chest
• Pain that can spread to the shoulders or back
• Fatigue from the body being in constant pain and low oxygen
Truths to know:
• Chronic pleurisy is real and physical, not caused by anxiety.
• It can be triggered by blood clots (like in PPES), infections, toxins, or injuries that never fully heal
Because of these conditions, she deals with PEM (Post-Exertional Malaise) is when your body crashes after even a little physical, mental, or emotional effort. The crash is delayed (sometimes 24–72 hours later) and can last for days, weeks, or longer.
Main symptoms:
• Total exhaustion after activity
• Muscle pain, chest pain, headaches, or sore throat
• Worsening brain fog and memory loss
• Dizziness, weakness, and feeling flu-like
• Sleep that gets even worse
Why PEM happens:
• The body’s energy system is broken — the mitochondria can’t make enough fuel (ATP).
• Inflammation and immune overreaction explode after exertion.
• The nervous system and circulation can’t recover properly, leading to system-wide crashes.
What causes PEM:
• Diseases like ME/CFS, Long Covid, PoTS, and PPES
• Viral or toxic injuries that damage the energy, immune, and nerve systems
Truths to know:
• PEM is not deconditioning or laziness — it’s a real biological failure at the cellular level.
• Pushing through PEM only causes more long-term damage.
Because of these conditions there are a lot of daily struggles, such as:
• Exhaustion from even basic tasks like showering, cooking, or getting dressed
• Pain in the chest, muscles, joints, or head almost every day
• Dizziness and heart racing just from standing up or walking across a room
• Breathing problems even at rest or with small efforts
• Brain fog — hard to think clearly, remember things, or focus
• Sleep that doesn’t refresh, leading to waking up already exhausted
• Feeling sick after activity (Post-Exertional Malaise) — sometimes delayed by a day or two
• Nausea and stomach issues after meals or randomly
• Sensory overload — lights, sounds, smells, or crowds can feel overwhelming
• Emotional toll — feeling isolated, frustrated, or grieving the loss of the old life.
if you have questions, we are happy to answer- just reach out!
Thank you to everyone who has shown love and support - it means everything to us!
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