Hi, my name is Lori and I'm trying to help out my friend and her family. She has had a run of horrible luck. She's so strong and has weathered these horrible hurdles. It began, when her eldest son, Joey became horribly ill. No one would listen as she took him to different ERs; trying to find answers. Finally, KU listened and acted. Headache and vomiting had a cause fungal meningitis. Her son raised chickens and had an extensive garden. He somehow had picked up a fungus found in the soil and it had traveled to his brain. So now, he was in for the fight of his life. They had to put in a stint; due to the pressure of the spinal fluid overload, caused uncontrollable vomiting. At 20 years old, he is legally blind. It has been an ongoing battle to get his fungal infection under control. His initial hospitalization was 11/25-12/10; then readmitted 12/13-12/23; then again 12/24-1/4; then again 1/21-2/16; 3/3-present. On top of everything; Andrea's van was stolen and totaled. She stays every night in the hospital with him. Due to his blindness; she is helping him to maneuver his environment. Andrea works as a medical assistant in a pediatric practice. She's had to exhausted her paid time off; so, tries to schedule friends and family to stay with him during the daytime; so she can work. She took on a 2nd job cleaning offices at night. So, she's been working her daytime job; going to her 2nd job; then, she drives to KU to spend the night with him. She has 2 other teenage boys; who help hold down the home front. She is very strong in her faith; which, help her get through. She's such an amazing mother; friend and coworker! She is always there to help others; now it is time to give her a hand up and ask for help!