Stephanie Vaccaro, RN, BSN, CCRN

In Loving Memory...

Dear Friends, Morgellons Advocates, and Members of The Charles E. Holman Foundation Medical Team: It is with heavy heart that I must announce the loss of my very dear long term personal friend and advocate for Morgellons.  My dear friend,  Stephanie Vaccaro, RN, BSN, CCRN passed away peacefully in her home of natural causes on April 23, 2009.  She was not a Morgellons patient herself, but was one of our strongest advocates as a member of The Charles E. Holman Foundation's panel of nurses for nearly 3 years.  Stephanie was my boss for many years in the Medical Specialty Intensive Care Unit at California Pacific Medical Center's Pacific Campus.  Her untimely death has saddened us greatly.  Her knowledge of critical care nursing went far beyond what many of us will ever learn.  Stephanie's standard of excellence in nursing certainly enriched many of us in our careers as critical care nurses.  As a dear friend and mentor to myself and many others during our journey in the nursing profession, her love, compassion, sense of humor, and her strong will and dedication to the nursing profession will live on in our hearts.   God bless Stephanie Vaccaro for all she contributed to caring for others and to being one of my closest friends.   She was there for me in good times and in bad.  I am blessed to have known her loyal friendship and I miss her so much.  - Cindy

Click Here for Eulogy by Cindy Casey

If you are a nurse or health care professional who has Morgellons Disease or you just want to learn more, please email:

Nurses-Morgellons

Nurses make up the largest occupational group of all those registered.



Nursing Advisory Panel

Cindy Casey, RNCindy G. Casey, RN
Coordinator
Cindy is an RN who has worked in the ICU of California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, California for the past sixteen years. Cindy set out in 2004 on a mission to get Morgellons Disease discovered, understood and (most importantly) properly diagnosed. Her efforts have left UCSF's Dermatology Department questioning what 'this' is...
Stay tuned.... rumor has it, she's taking on the great state of Texas next.

email Cindy here: ccaseyrn@hughes.net

Donna Doherty, RN, BSN, MSNDonna Doherty, RN, BSN, MSN
Donna is from Waynesboro, Mississippi and has been in nursing for 21years. She has a Masters Degree in Community Health. Currently she works weekends as a PACU nurse and teaches Reiki in her spare time. She has been married for 25 years with 3 children. Donna has had Morgellons for 6 years and she is willing to help our cause in any way she can!

email Donna here: healingheartlight@yahoo.com

Kristen Seargeant, RNKristen Seargeant, RN
Kristen spent ten years of her nursing career working in a Cardiac Care Unit at the University of California in Los Angeles, California. She currently works in out-patient recovery at UCLA and is active in the California Nurses Association as a Regional Delegate. Kristen also has Morgellons Disease and wants answers.

email Kris here: krisbshere@aol.com

Judy Smith, RNJudy Smith, RN
Judy lives in Georgia and contracted Morgellons Disease along with her husband, also a health care professional, in 2004. Continually researching, Judy and her husband continue their fight to find answers and increase awareness.

email Judy here: JDBS5742@aol.com

 

Belinda Smith, RN, BSN, CCMBelinda Smith, RN, BSN, CCM
Belinda is from San Antonio, Texas and is employed by University Health System/affiliate of University of Texas Health Science Center. She has been working there as certified casemanger for the last four years and is presently working in the Admissions Dept.

Belinda's experience includes working in a research lab as a volunteer at UTHSCSA in 1994. She started her career in nursing as an LVN which she worked as a surgical and post anesthesia nurse in the early 90's while going to school for her nursing degree. She has experience in the OR, PACU, ICU, Endoscopy Lab, Ambulatory surgery, Cardiac Rehab and Pain management in her clinical practice.

Belinda is a victim of Morgellons and would like to assist others whom have the disease. She would like to increase the awareness in the community and network with physicians and research specialists to determine cause of disease and potential treatments or curative therapy.

email Belinda here: bks101@hotmail.com

Sunny!Gwen "Sunny" Simmons, RN
Gwen lives in Lakeland, Tn, a community just outside of Memphis.  Graduating from Memphis State University (now The University of Memphis) in 1977, she worked at Baptist Memorial Hospital as Charge Nurse in Cardio-Vascular/Respiratory sub-acute units for 11 yrs.   The strong desire to help in community health lead her to work at the Memphis-Shelby Health Department (MSCHD).   Initially, working in Infectious Disease/STD,  Gwen was sent to the CDC in Dallas, TX for a 2 week training session.   Becoming a Community Health Nurse with MSCHD was not only a dream come true, but also prepared her for the hardest job ever.   In 2001-2002 Gwen was infected by what is now recognized as Morgellons Disease.  Forced into an extended medical leave due to this, she now uses her abilities to assist others dealing with Morgellons in anyway possible.

Feel free to contact her at   sunnyand7777@yahoo.com 

Lynn!Lynn Seybold, RN

Lynn graduated in 1992 with an A.D.N, worked in predominately medical cardiac and Intensive care areas since that time.  She completed her BSN in 2000 at the University of Pittsburgh and started graduate school in 2003 at the University of Pittsburgh. 

 It was around that time that Lynn became symptomatic for Morgellons, with lesions, neurological problems and profound fatigue.  Testing positive on a Western Blot,  Lynn began treatment for Lyme Disease.   She had to stop working 10 months into treatment for 6 weeks, then returned light duty until she was able to obtain a teaching position.

 Completing her MSN with the focus in Research in August 2008 Lynn developed a Lyme Disease educational program and  for school nurses as part of her graduate project.  More recently,  she authored an article in the peer reviewed nursing journal "RN" titled 'Scouting for Lyme Disease.' 

Currently Lynn works as a Clinical Nursing Instructor for Complex Health Nursing, Intensive Care and has applied for a PhD program.  She has two grown daughters, who neither exhibit any symptoms of Morgellons. 

Lynn continues to battle the symptoms of Morgellons and has become a crusader promoting Morgellons recognition and research. 

Her Email: lynn.seybold@gmail.com