TCAPP Sponsors a Private Viewing of Complicated – The Movie and a Silent Auction to Benefit the Karen “Lexi” Richards Uslu scholarship fund
Date: May 17, 2025
Location: Medfield High School Auditorium, Medfield, MA
To attend this extraordinary event, tickets can be purchased through EventBrite here.
To donate silent auction items to the event, please contact [email protected]
To donate to Karen “Lexi’s” scholarship fund, please click here:
Who and What is TCAPP?
TCAPP was founded in 2011 by moms of children with chronic pain and complex medical conditions, The Coalition Against Pediatric Pain (TCAPP) is a 501(c)3 organization committed to supporting children and families coping with chronic pain. We advocate for families by raising awareness of the unique needs and challenges they face. Our organization, which is 100% volunteer run, provides validation, education, and support for children and families impacted by chronic pain or illness.
What is “Complicated – The Movie” About?
COMPLICATED reveals the untold stories of children suffering from complex, invisible illness, marginalized by a medical system that fails to provide the care they desperately need. Shuffled between specialists, misdiagnosed, and often labeled with psychological disorders, these young patients fight for validation, respect and normalcy. The film exposes a dark side of pediatric medicine, where parents pushing for answers, risk being accused of medically harming their children and even losing custody.
Filmed over seven years, this unflinching documentary explores the “complicated” journeys of young people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a little-known connective tissue disorder that is far more common than most realize. Ranging from mild to life-threatening, EDS is often invisible, and the lack of research and awareness leads to medical gaslighting, where treatments are withheld, insurance is denied, and families are torn apart.
In a healthcare system under intense scrutiny, COMPLICATED pulls back the curtain on a hidden world of suffering and resilience. It highlights courageous young people fighting for their lives, mothers risking everything to protect them, and a system that too often turns a blind eye. Amid this struggle, a spark of hope emerges as patients become their own advocates, researching potential tests and treatments that could change their lives—and possibly the future of medicine.
Who is Karen “Lexi” Richards Uslu and what does her scholarship represent?
Karen “Lexi” was 9 years old when her mom helped to start TCAPP. She was diagnosed with many disorders such as: CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome), EDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome), IIH (Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension), Dysautonomia (POTS, Gastroparesis), ACTH Deficiency, Bipolar and many other comorbid conditions. Despite all these illnesses, her spirit was strong and she was a force to be reckoned with, fighting against her diseases every day, advocating for others in similar situations, and not letting it stop her love for life and living for as she said, “Life is to be Lived.”
The scholarship in her name will honor an individual that fits the following criteria:
- A person with a chronic complicated illness that has impacted their daily life.
- Someone that shows an interest in writing, journalism, advocacy, photography, health related policy or health related field.
- Can be for undergraduate or graduate education.
