Alison's Brain Surgery Take Two

This past November, Alison had chiari decompression brain surgery. Although the surgery was successful and she has had some relief from the intensity of her headaches, she still has residual head pain (almost constantly), neck weakness, tingling down her arms, and a tremor in her hands. She was just diagnosed with a different but related condition called craniocervical instability; she needs surgery as soon as possible to fuse two vertebrae in her neck. Her case is so severe that the doctor said that when she turns her head, she nearly dislocates her neck and that it's just a matter of time before she will be paralyzed. The hope is that this surgery will correct her remaining symptoms and stabilize her head and neck.

Craniocervical instability in Alison’s case is caused by an extremely rare connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. She tried to pursue treatment by several neurosurgeons that her insurance covers, but even a Duke neurosurgeon told her that he has never even heard of EDS. Because of this, she has to go to a neurosurgeon in Maryland who is the best in the country for this specific condition – but he is not contracted with any insurance companies. The cost of the surgery is more than she can afford alone, and she has to pay a significant portion directly to the surgeon before she can be scheduled for surgery. She is hoping to have the surgery as soon as possible.

Would you please consider helping with some of the costs of this surgery? Gofundme contributions are probably most convenient for you, but there is nearly a 10% fee for each contribution that comes out of your donation. Gofundme has just added a feature where users can upload donations given by other method and Alison will keep this site updated with every donation that comes in. Would you consider using another method to donate? Here are three other options:

-     Paypal to [email redacted]
-     Check sent to: Alison Singewald; 8850 Thornton Town Pl. Raleigh, NC 27616
-      Venmo (a user-friendly app that transfers money without charge, username: @alisonsingewald)

As the saying goes, "you can't put a price on your health." Unfortunately, the reality is that sometimes medically necessary procedures are not affordable to the common person. Thank you so much for considering joining together with others to help Alison afford this surgery. Every amount, big or small, will make a huge impact.

To read more about Alison and her health issues, please visit her blog at alisonbsingewald.wordpress.com