Michelle is a wife and mom of two who has spent years pushing through dizziness, headaches, fatigue, brain fog and pain—because that’s what parents do. But this September, pushing through is no longer an option.
On September 28, Michelle will undergo major brain surgery for Chiari Malformation Type I, a condition causing part of her brain to extend into her spinal canal and disrupt the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid. That disruption has already caused a syrinx to develop within her spinal cord. A syrinx is a fluid-filled pocket or tube that forms inside the spinal cord. The condition is called syringomyelia. Think of the spinal cord as a thick electrical cable carrying messages between your brain and body. A syrinx is like a small water-filled bubble forming inside that cable. If it enlarges, it can press on and damage the nerves around it.
I’m Michelle’s cousin, and I’m starting this fundraiser because while her neurosurgical team works to make more room for her brain, I’d like us to make a little more room for Michelle to heal.
Michelle and her husband Kyle are raising a 10-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son with autism. Her children are the reason she keeps going, and her greatest concern through all of this is getting through surgery, recovering well, and getting back to being their mom.
Surgery will mean several days in the hospital followed by weeks away from work. Along with the physical challenge of recovery will come medical expenses, lost income and the everyday bills that don’t stop simply because someone is having brain surgery.
That’s where we can help.
Our goal is to surround Michelle and her family so that, for those first difficult weeks, her energy can go toward healing rather than worrying about how everything will be paid for.
If you’re able to give, your gift—large or small—will help ease that burden. If giving isn’t possible, sharing Michelle’s story is incredibly valuable. And we would be grateful for your prayers for Michelle, her children, her surgical team and a safe, successful recovery.
Give if you can. Share if you can. Pray with us.
And most of all, help us give Michelle the time and space she needs to heal—and get back to the two little people who mean everything to her.
