Most of you know Laura and Chris, but for those who don’t here is some background.
Laura and Chris grew up in the Valley City area. They both attended local High schools and Valley City State University. Chris got his teaching degree, Laura finished her undergrads, and they graduated in 2001. Not long after graduation, Laura and Chris married that summer then moved to Flagstaff, Arizona. Laura went to Northern Arizona University where she received her nursing degree in 2006. Laura and Chris then spent a few months in California before moving up to Fredericksburg, VA. While living in Virginia, they welcomed their first child in 2009. Summer of 2010 Laura and Chris made their way back to ND to be closer to family. Chris took over his family farm and Laura started working for Sanford Hospital as a labor and delivery nurse. Since their return to ND they’ve moved back to the Valley City area and have welcomed two more children. The last few years Laura has been working at the Sanford Clinic in Valley City so she could be closer to home and be around for her kids.
A few months back Laura started to experience excruciating headaches. Nearly passing out on multiple occasions from the pain, Laura went to the Emergency room. There they did a CT. Sinusitis was the only thing that showed up but headaches continued. On April 27th Laura had a MRI done. She was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation Type 1.
Chiari Malformation Type 1 is congenital and slowly develops as the brain and skull grow. Usually, it goes undetected until symptoms are present. The problem with Chiari Malformation is that the bottom potion of the skull is typically too small for the lower region of the brain. This puts pressure on the cerebellum and displaces it into the upper spinal canal. The upper spinal canal is where the brain and spinal cord meet. With the cerebellum bulging through this opening it puts pressure on the spinal cord interfering with the normal flow of spinal fluid. This impaired circulation can cause a variety of different problems.
Laura was referred to a Neurologist and was seen on April 30th. They discovered that the cranial pressure had increased significantly since her original CT just weeks before. This was causing her optic nerves to swell. The Dr was worried about permanent damage to her optic nerves if they didn’t do surgery right away. Laura was admitted right after her appointment and because of Covid -19 she’s not allowed to have visitors. Chris wasn’t even able to attend the appointment with her and was escorted out of the building. She had surgery May 1st and everything went well but she is still there all alone. They removed a small portion of the lower part of her skull to relieve the pressure and placed her in a halo to keep her head immobile. She’s in a lot of pain and the doctors are still trying to find the right meds to help give her some relief. She’ll be in the ICU for a few days then will be able to go home. We can expect Laura to be out of work for a few weeks at least.
Money has been tight and it will only get worse with the add on of this hospital bill. The last couple years have been tough for them. Laura had surgery on her knee in 2018, then had a full knee replacement on the same knee a year later. The early snow that came this fall affected Chris’s harvest resulting in little to no yield. With him busy in the fields again trying to prepare and plant for this years crop, the kids out of school, and Laura at home healing; they could use help and support from their friends, family, and community.
Whether you can donate money, drop off a meal, help with the kiddos or send a prayer, it will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!