A Fight For Life-From Walking to Quadriplegic in Just Hours

Cheryl’s life changed in an instant. Now she needs your help to rebuild it.

My name is Gale Lester, and I’m reaching out on behalf of my sister, Cheryl White. We grew up in Buellton, California, in a loud, loving home with six kids, three boys and three girls. Because there were so many of us, our family was well known in our hometown. We all went to the same elementary school, Jonata Elementary, and graduated from the same high school, Santa Ynez High School. As the years passed, it was just Cheryl and I left at home with our parents, and during that time, our bond became unbreakable. Cheryl has been my rock, my best friend, my confidant, and the one person who has always stood by me. We’ve faced life side by side, and I can’t imagine it any other way.

I’m reaching out, something that’s very hard for me to do, to ask for your support for someone incredibly special to me. Cheryl is a devoted daughter, deeply loved sister, loving aunt, loyal friend, and one of the kindest, most big-hearted people I’ve ever known.

Cheryl has always been the giver in our family. She would give you the shirt off her back if it meant helping someone else. She’s a hard worker, deeply respected by her coworkers for her attention to detail, unwavering reliability, and strong work ethic. She never complains, always shows up, and constantly puts others before herself.

As years went on, Cheryl moved to Sierra Vista, Arizona, where she was the primary caregiver for our mother, who will be 98 years old this year. She took on that role with love, grace, and complete devotion, making sure our mom was cared for, comforted, and never alone. Cheryl has been the one we all leaned on, especially our mother. Her sudden paralysis hasn’t only devastated her, it’s taken a heavy emotional and physical toll on our mom, who now struggles daily without the daughter she depended on.

On January 10, 2025, after work, Cheryl went to the ER with shoulder pain. She was sent home with a prescription for muscle relaxants. The next day, still in pain and knowing something wasn’t right, she returned to the ER, and again, they sent her home. We trusted the doctors to find the problem, but they missed it twice, and that delay may have cost Cheryl the chance to walk again.

She got home from the ER around 11 p.m., and just hours later, at 4 a.m., she tried to get out of bed and collapsed. She was mysteriously paralyzed from the shoulders down. Cheryl was rushed by ambulance back to the hospital and admitted on January 12. What followed was a nightmare. For days, doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong. During that time, Cheryl received substandard care; she was left in pain, not properly cleaned, sometimes not fed, and there were serious concerns regarding HIPAA violations. We begged for her to be transferred to Banner University Medical Center in Tucson, where we knew she would get the urgent, compassionate care she desperately needed, but that transfer was delayed nearly a week. Time that may have been critical to preventing permanent paralysis.

At Banner, doctors finally discovered the cause: a severe staph infection surrounding her cervical spine (C3 to C5). Infected fluid had built up and caused permanent damage to her spinal cord. Emergency spinal surgery was her only option, but the risks were terrifying. We were told to prepare for the worst: that Cheryl might not survive or could remain paralyzed from the neck down. But Cheryl chose to fight.

She survived the surgery. What followed was a whirlwind of procedures, setbacks, and emotional battles. She was placed on a ventilator and sedated to allow her body to recover. On January 23, doctors began to wean her off sedation. When Cheryl woke up, we cried tears of joy. She later received a tracheostomy and feeding tube. A few days later, she was able to speak again. Around that time, she also received a pacemaker. By February 8, she was breathing on her own.

When I was finally able to visit her again on February 15, she was able to talk, laugh, and smile. Her spirit was strong. She had regained feeling in her shoulders, but remained paralyzed from the chest down, with no function in her hands or legs.

Since then, Cheryl has faced enormous challenges. She was placed in a skilled nursing facility where she again received inadequate care and developed another infection. After another hospitalization, we finally got her transferred to Encompass Rehabilitation, where she began receiving proper support. But the prognosis remained devastating: Cheryl was officially diagnosed as a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the neck down.

Today, Cheryl cannot walk, sit up, feed herself, use a phone, or even hold a pen. She has endured multiple hospitalizations, rehabs, and long-term care facilities. She suffers from depression and anxiety as she adjusts to a completely transformed life, but she still hasn’t lost her will to fight.

Most recently, Cheryl developed a dangerous case of pneumonia in her right lung while recovering at her current facility. She was transferred back to the same hospital where her care was previously delayed, the place that failed to act quickly when she first became paralyzed. It’s heartbreaking and deeply frustrating to know she has returned to the very facility where critical time was lost, time that may have cost her the chance to walk again. Pneumonia is life-threatening for someone in her condition, and once again, we’re holding our breath, praying for her recovery, and fighting to make sure she receives the care she deserves.

Up until now, we’ve managed to cover Cheryl’s surgeries, hospital transfers, and most of her medical needs. But the emotional and financial toll has been immense, and our resources are now depleted. That’s why we are reaching out to you.

Cheryl needs 24-hour care. She’s stable, but her recovery will be long, difficult, and expensive. She deserves to live with dignity, safety, and the chance for independence—no matter how limited that may be.

Funds Raised Will Help With:

• Rehabilitation and long-term physical therapy

• Medical equipment (wheelchair, lift, hospital bed, etc.)

• Home and vehicle modifications for accessibility

• Nursing and in-home care

• Ongoing medical expenses not covered by insurance

• Support for our elderly mother, who deeply depends on Cheryl’s love and presence.

Cheryl is the heart of our family. She loves Garth Brooks and Tinkerbell, and treasures time spent with her nieces, nephews, and their kids, her second nieces and nephews. Her deep faith and the love of her close-knit family keep her going.

Now, we’re asking for a community to stand with her.

If you are able to donate—no matter the amount—it would mean the world to us. And if you’re not in a position to give, please consider sharing Cheryl’s story, sending prayers, and helping us spread the word. Every donation, every share, and every act of kindness brings Cheryl one step closer to hope, healing, and the chance to live again.

From the bottom of my heart—thank you for reading, for caring, and for standing with my sister during the fight of her life.