Tricia Kerridge Brain Surgery Fund
Donation protected
Thank you for your interest in Tricia Kerridge’s story! My name is Marcy, and I am a friend of the Kerridge family.
The Kerridge family is in dire need of financial assistance. They reside in Grand Haven, Michigan. The Kerridge’s are a devout Christian family that could also use an abundance of prayers as they embark on this next phase of Tricia’s journey.
Tricia will be going to Texas in a few weeks (beginning of September) to undergo brain surgery to remove a tumor that is deep in her brain and smothering her pineal gland. The tumor is not considered cancerous, but as with any removal of a tumor, it will be tested to confirm that it’s benign.
The Kerridge family just found out they need to bring nearly $9,000 up front for this surgery to cover the cost of co-pays. In addition, they are facing close to $3,000 in travel/hotel/food expenses. Tricia will need to stay in Texas, post-op, for nearly three weeks. It could be less/more depending on the outcome of the surgery and her recovery prognosis.
TRICIA’S JOURNEY
Tricia is married to husband Brett, and is a very proud hockey mom of two sons – Bryce (16) and Austen (15).
I met Tricia several years ago through Muskegon youth hockey. Through the path of being ‘Hockey Moms’ and ‘Hockey Managers’, we have forged what I’m very thankful to say is a life-long friendship.
Tricia has shared her amazing Hockey Mom/Manager (and even coaching) skills with many parents and players throughout West Michigan hockey organizations. Bryce, Austen, and Tricia have been involved with organizations such as Norton Shores Recreational Hockey, the Muskegon Chiefs, North Muskegon North-Stars, West-Kent Walker Hawks, Meijer AAA/West Michigan Elite, and the Lansing Spartans. To say that Tricia is a dedicated hockey mom is an understatement!!
About 3 years ago, Tricia’s life as she knew it started to take a scary unknown turn. Tricia was a full-time working mom who held a position as a financial analyst for a West Michigan company. Quite suddenly, almost on a daily basis, Tricia started having episodes in which she would completely black out for several minutes. Her driver’s license had to be revoked. Within months, she was no longer able to work at all, therefore putting an end to a significant portion of the family income. Tricia’s sleep cycles started to deteriorate, as well as her memory and cognitive abilities. Eventually Tricia started developing other neurological symptoms such as head and shoulder tremors.
Tricia searched for answers with local doctors as well as those at the Cleveland clinic. Months and months of testing finally brought a diagnosis. Mitochondrial Myopathy. While she gained a diagnosis, she wasn’t getting any relief from her symptoms. Tricia was simply living day-to-day, with no marked improvements with new medications.
Thankfully Tricia stayed diligent and continued to search for answers herself via the internet. Doing so led her to put pieces of her extraordinary health issues together. Tricia reached out to the Mischer Neuroscience Institute in Houston, Texas for help. In June of this year, Tricia and her family traveled to Texas for a consultation. It was there that Dr. Kim, a world renowned neurosurgeon, confirmed Tricia’s health matters are indeed rare and extreme. A tumor near the center of her brain has overwhelmed her pineal gland. A primary function of this gland is to regulate a person’s sleep cycle. The pineal gland is actually no longer functioning for Tricia at all. In addition to Tricia’s insomnia, the fainting, and the tremors - she also suffers from extreme headaches, muscle weakness, and fatigue. Dr. Kim will be removing as much of the tumor as possible, as well as the gland itself. Once the gland is actually removed, the brain will try to rewire itself. Dr. Kim is confident that Tricia’s headaches will subside. He is hopeful that the insomnia, fainting, and tremors will also take a turn for the good. As Tricia says, “I’ll take what I can get”.
Tricia’s health struggles have had a profound impact on the entire family. It is my hope that each and every person that is taking time to read this, will also consider assisting this family financially. The internet can be such a powerful tool to help people. I ask that you please consider helping them with a donation, and please help share this story with your own dear friends and family.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Marcy
In addition, I would like to include some words directly from Tricia:
Almost three years ago our lives changed dramatically. At the age of 36 I was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition, mitochondrial myopathy. Needless to say this was debilitating and caused me to lose my corporate job and my driver’s license. My family was forced to restructure our lives since my pay decreased from corporate pay to disability. I also lost all of the benefits I carried through my employment. My boys had to take drivers training at 14 years old so they could help with all the hockey driving. Although difficult, my family has adapted to this situation because we all love and have seen the benefits of them playing hockey. They have learned what it means to sacrifice some things to have others. A lesson they use both in life and on the ice. They have also learned to become the second and third men of the house. It hasn’t been easy for any of us but together we make it happen. They have never complained about their added duties and as a family we have never asked for help. In the midst of all this we were still the family that would load up our Suburban (with 350,000 hockey miles on it, no joke) and take extra kids for the weekend so they could play when their parents couldn’t make it work. Just when we think we have it all figured out we were hit with yet another surprise. I was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor that is located in the very center of my brain. It is in such a dangerous location that there are only two neurosurgeons in the United States that will attempt to remove it. One is in California and one is in Texas. Being from Michigan we chose the Texas neurosurgeon since it was closer. Not that the surgery wasn’t dangerous enough, it will be even more high risk for me because I already have the mitochondrial myopathy which does not allow my body to recover from the simplest task like a normal person so the recovery from surgery of this magnitude is unknown at this point. I will be having the surgery in Houston, Texas on September 7. At this point they told us we should plan on three weeks in Texas. This is an unexpected event that will cost us a large amount of money on an already tight budget. My husband will need to take the three weeks off from work; we have the travel expenses such as gas, hotel and food. We were also informed that we need to provide our co-pay up front for the surgery which will run around $9000. On a fixed income this task seems like an uphill battle we cannot climb alone this time. Despite everything I have mentioned, the hardest thing we have to do right now is ask for help from the people around us. We pride ourselves on always “making it work”. We realize there are many people in need of support out there as many people are struggling.
From our family to yours, we want to thank you for taking the time to consider supporting us in this unexpected journey!!
The Kerridge Family
The Kerridge family is in dire need of financial assistance. They reside in Grand Haven, Michigan. The Kerridge’s are a devout Christian family that could also use an abundance of prayers as they embark on this next phase of Tricia’s journey.
Tricia will be going to Texas in a few weeks (beginning of September) to undergo brain surgery to remove a tumor that is deep in her brain and smothering her pineal gland. The tumor is not considered cancerous, but as with any removal of a tumor, it will be tested to confirm that it’s benign.
The Kerridge family just found out they need to bring nearly $9,000 up front for this surgery to cover the cost of co-pays. In addition, they are facing close to $3,000 in travel/hotel/food expenses. Tricia will need to stay in Texas, post-op, for nearly three weeks. It could be less/more depending on the outcome of the surgery and her recovery prognosis.
TRICIA’S JOURNEY
Tricia is married to husband Brett, and is a very proud hockey mom of two sons – Bryce (16) and Austen (15).
I met Tricia several years ago through Muskegon youth hockey. Through the path of being ‘Hockey Moms’ and ‘Hockey Managers’, we have forged what I’m very thankful to say is a life-long friendship.
Tricia has shared her amazing Hockey Mom/Manager (and even coaching) skills with many parents and players throughout West Michigan hockey organizations. Bryce, Austen, and Tricia have been involved with organizations such as Norton Shores Recreational Hockey, the Muskegon Chiefs, North Muskegon North-Stars, West-Kent Walker Hawks, Meijer AAA/West Michigan Elite, and the Lansing Spartans. To say that Tricia is a dedicated hockey mom is an understatement!!
About 3 years ago, Tricia’s life as she knew it started to take a scary unknown turn. Tricia was a full-time working mom who held a position as a financial analyst for a West Michigan company. Quite suddenly, almost on a daily basis, Tricia started having episodes in which she would completely black out for several minutes. Her driver’s license had to be revoked. Within months, she was no longer able to work at all, therefore putting an end to a significant portion of the family income. Tricia’s sleep cycles started to deteriorate, as well as her memory and cognitive abilities. Eventually Tricia started developing other neurological symptoms such as head and shoulder tremors.
Tricia searched for answers with local doctors as well as those at the Cleveland clinic. Months and months of testing finally brought a diagnosis. Mitochondrial Myopathy. While she gained a diagnosis, she wasn’t getting any relief from her symptoms. Tricia was simply living day-to-day, with no marked improvements with new medications.
Thankfully Tricia stayed diligent and continued to search for answers herself via the internet. Doing so led her to put pieces of her extraordinary health issues together. Tricia reached out to the Mischer Neuroscience Institute in Houston, Texas for help. In June of this year, Tricia and her family traveled to Texas for a consultation. It was there that Dr. Kim, a world renowned neurosurgeon, confirmed Tricia’s health matters are indeed rare and extreme. A tumor near the center of her brain has overwhelmed her pineal gland. A primary function of this gland is to regulate a person’s sleep cycle. The pineal gland is actually no longer functioning for Tricia at all. In addition to Tricia’s insomnia, the fainting, and the tremors - she also suffers from extreme headaches, muscle weakness, and fatigue. Dr. Kim will be removing as much of the tumor as possible, as well as the gland itself. Once the gland is actually removed, the brain will try to rewire itself. Dr. Kim is confident that Tricia’s headaches will subside. He is hopeful that the insomnia, fainting, and tremors will also take a turn for the good. As Tricia says, “I’ll take what I can get”.
Tricia’s health struggles have had a profound impact on the entire family. It is my hope that each and every person that is taking time to read this, will also consider assisting this family financially. The internet can be such a powerful tool to help people. I ask that you please consider helping them with a donation, and please help share this story with your own dear friends and family.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Marcy
In addition, I would like to include some words directly from Tricia:
Almost three years ago our lives changed dramatically. At the age of 36 I was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition, mitochondrial myopathy. Needless to say this was debilitating and caused me to lose my corporate job and my driver’s license. My family was forced to restructure our lives since my pay decreased from corporate pay to disability. I also lost all of the benefits I carried through my employment. My boys had to take drivers training at 14 years old so they could help with all the hockey driving. Although difficult, my family has adapted to this situation because we all love and have seen the benefits of them playing hockey. They have learned what it means to sacrifice some things to have others. A lesson they use both in life and on the ice. They have also learned to become the second and third men of the house. It hasn’t been easy for any of us but together we make it happen. They have never complained about their added duties and as a family we have never asked for help. In the midst of all this we were still the family that would load up our Suburban (with 350,000 hockey miles on it, no joke) and take extra kids for the weekend so they could play when their parents couldn’t make it work. Just when we think we have it all figured out we were hit with yet another surprise. I was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor that is located in the very center of my brain. It is in such a dangerous location that there are only two neurosurgeons in the United States that will attempt to remove it. One is in California and one is in Texas. Being from Michigan we chose the Texas neurosurgeon since it was closer. Not that the surgery wasn’t dangerous enough, it will be even more high risk for me because I already have the mitochondrial myopathy which does not allow my body to recover from the simplest task like a normal person so the recovery from surgery of this magnitude is unknown at this point. I will be having the surgery in Houston, Texas on September 7. At this point they told us we should plan on three weeks in Texas. This is an unexpected event that will cost us a large amount of money on an already tight budget. My husband will need to take the three weeks off from work; we have the travel expenses such as gas, hotel and food. We were also informed that we need to provide our co-pay up front for the surgery which will run around $9000. On a fixed income this task seems like an uphill battle we cannot climb alone this time. Despite everything I have mentioned, the hardest thing we have to do right now is ask for help from the people around us. We pride ourselves on always “making it work”. We realize there are many people in need of support out there as many people are struggling.
From our family to yours, we want to thank you for taking the time to consider supporting us in this unexpected journey!!
The Kerridge Family
Organizer and beneficiary
Marcy 'Norstrom' Hannahs
Organizer
Muskegon, MI
Tricia Kerridge
Beneficiary
