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Rita DeFatta​ is perseverant, down to earth, intuitive, intelligent and bent on survival.  She is 41 years old,  married, the  mother of 3 zebra children, bonus mother, fur baby mom, & a grandmother! She is from the Shreveport area. Rita has been shaped and forged by the adversities of many severe childhood traumas. She has done the hard work of years of therapy and has been able to reach and help many others. Rita has worked as a bartender, a server, a private investigator, and more. She credits her adversities for giving her the ability and purpose to help others who suffer through similar journeys. Her main arsenal has been the weapon of knowledge combined with perseverance. 

 

Prior to this year, Rita and her family escaped their home, of 7 years, that was plagued with toxic mold. After a visit to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston with her middle son, on intake, a team of doctors asked if there was “any visible mold or mildew present in the home.” This question sent Rita onto a path that led to much needed answers and led to her journey of learning more about what was affecting both her and her family’s health. She has since moved into another home, only to discover more mold and it is currently in the process of being remediated. Once she learned more about her diagnosis of POTS, MCAS, dysautonomia, VEDS, double MTHFR gene mutation, dislocations, and more, she was able to piece it all together. Her initial inclination was to trust doctors and followed their care plans, even when that included several heavy prescription medications. Rita says being on these medications robbed her from years with her family. Her husband of over 10 years, Chris, is proud of his wife for the steps and changes she has made on her own. Her medications had Rita in her own little world at times. She decided to try a more natural approach and took the hard steps of weaning herself off of many of her medications. Now she takes very few prescriptions and takes only a handful of supplements and natural meds that don’t leave her pain free, but does allow her to be present for her family. Rita is living her best life and is thrilled to be a part of the EDS Louisiana team!