Misty was just trying to do the right thing. She had a fulfilling career as an Early Childhood Educator, proudly raising her twin girls on her own. Then in March 2019, she was notified by the local health department that she had been exposed to the measles. She was not allowed back at work. Her choices were to stay out of work without pay until the outbreak was considered over or get the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine and get back to work in two weeks. As the sole provider for her family, because of all the panic in the news, and because Governor Inslee had already declared a state of emergency after 25 cases of measles were reported, she felt like she didn’t have an option - she took the shot.

Ten days later, she began to feel muscle weakness, tingling sensations in her limbs and at 18 days, she was paralyzed. She spent more than two months in physical rehabilitation to regain her mobility and strength and it was difficult for her kids to visit due to the measles protocols. Her neurologist diagnosed her with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) - a condition in which a person’s immune system attacks the myelin sheath of her nervous system - and that it was caused by the vaccine. She can no longer work, is advised to not drive, has difficulty walking, and basic house chores are not trivial. Her mother was her biggest advocate but recently passed away. Misty's ongoing state disability claim has been rejected and her appeals have been postponed. But wait, it gets worse: she is now behind in house payments, while other income barely feeds her twelve-year-olds. The doctors said she'd be fully healed three years after onset - it's now been five years.

Her hope is that her disability case gets resolved so that she can pay her small mortgage, afford grocery delivery and be able to provide for her kids as best as possible. Even then, it will be tough going for this tragic twist of fate. Misty and her daughters need our encouragement, love, prayers and financial support. Let’s help keep the roof over her head, food in the refrigerator and make their lives brighter this holiday.