Tara's Chiari Brain Surgery Fund

Friends and family, and anyone with a giving heart, thank you for taking time to read this. I am raising money to help cover my extensive medical bills for my surgery, as well as aftercare for myself and my daughter. After sustaining a concussion during a relatively minor car accident in November 2015, we discovered via an MRI in January 2016 that I have Chiari Malformation Type 1, which is a neurological disorder involving cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) blockage. This is due to the cerebral tonsils being forced downward into the spinal cord because the skull is smaller than normal.

I am a 26 year old mother of an amazing, beautiful six-year-old girl, Emma, and a step-motherly figure to my boyfriend Kyle's daughter, Launa. I pray that the surgery is successful, that recovery is smooth and that medical bills do not impinge upon the well-being of our family. I am a survivor and will overcome this obstacle. I've survived domestic abuse by an ex, the challenges of being a single mother, loss, grand maul seizures and other medical procedures which could have been caused by the early onset of this ailment itself, and a whole heap of hardships that life has thrown my way and I have grown stronger, more capable and wiser through it all. I will always be a survivor, a fighter, never a victim. I know that there are some moments in life when you must rely on the kindness of others and as I put all of my faith into the steady hands of my surgeon, I must ask that my friends and family can help me to get up and keep moving forward.

Since my accident I have been suffering vertigo, tinnitus, weak muscles, loss of feeling in my limbs, chronic fatigue, neck and shoulder pain, memory loss, loss of consciousness, and severe migraines/headaches. This has made me unable to continue working.

The surgery I will undergo is called Posterior Fossa Craniotomy for Chiari Decompression and Laminectomy (surgery will remove C1 & C2 Vertebra and posterior section of skull bone). The surgery will take place in the University Hospital in Madison, WI in March, 2016 and will last 3-4 hours. Doctors believe that 1 in 1,000 babies are born with this malformation; the extent of the issue varies greatly. I have a 23 millimeter descent (herniation), which is considered an extreme case. If left untreated it can lead to permanent nerve damage, and irreversible brain and spine damage. From start to end it will be 6 hours before I can see anyone. Then I will spend 1 day in ICU and 2-5 days in the hospital depending on how I am doing, and assuming all goes well. My recovery will last anywhere from 6-10 weeks. After the surgery, I will need regular follow-up exams to assess the outcome of surgery and the flow of cerebrospinal fluid.

Please find it in your hearts to provide whatever support you can to me and my family as I undergo this difficult and frightening ordeal. Thank you for your generosity and I promise to pay forward any and all gifts I receive by promoting an appreciation for life and being a beacon of shining hope for anyone who is unlucky enough to have to go through what I have. I will keep you all updated as I go through my life changing journey. Remember to kiss your family members daily because if you have your health, you have everything.

For more information regarding this condition please visit:

http://www.chiariinstitute.com/

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/chiari/detail_chiari.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold%E2%80%93Chiari_malformation

You can also donate on the Conquer Chiari website http://www.conquerchiari.org/index.html

If anyone wants to know more, please feel free to reach out to me.

Thank you, with ever-gracious love,

Tara Scott