Hi. I’m a cousin of Christine Watkins, and a frequent recipient of her kindness, like so many. And now I want to see if we can’t give her a little much-needed assistance. This fundraiser is for Christine, a mother of 3, a retired RN of 26 years, and a proud US Army Nurse Corp veteran. Christine has been fighting a 5-year battle with occipital neuralgia, an inflammatory condition that causes disabling migraine-like pain. So far, she has undergone 17 steroid epidurals and 4 radio-frequency ablations (a procedure that uses heat to destroy dysfunctional tissue). The Department of Veteran Affairs has finally approved Christine’s much-needed occipital nerve excision surgery - a minimally invasive approach to the nerves in the head and neck region that cause or contribute to headache symptoms. Unfortunately, the only qualified surgeon who will take VA insurance is located in Atkinson, Nebraska. The VA will pay for the surgery, but not the airline tickets from Virginia Beach to Atkinson. Fortunately, the organization Mercy Medical Angels has offered to assist with the cost of the airline tickets. However, Christine is still left with the costs of the rental car, hotel (some 3 hours from the airport) and incidental expenses, like meals, etc. Please contribute what you can. Every little bit helps this remarkable woman who has given so much to her nation and community.