Hello, my name is Angie Lowe and I am writing on behalf of my very dear friend Brenda. Brenda is a wonderful, caring and generous wife, mother, grandmother and friend. For years she has suffered with Chiari Malformation and Syringomyelia, two rare conditions that have deeply affected her body and life. Chiari Malformation push's brain tissue into the spinal canal, often leading to Syringomyelia, where spinal fluid pools and forms a syrinx, causing severe, sometimes excruciating pain. Sleeping with ice packs on her spine is a regular occurrence, trying to find some relief and sleep.

Brenda’s pain is more than a number on a chart. It limits her mobility, means missed moments with loved ones, and tests her hope for relief. She has full knowledge of the future that she could face without treatment as this same condition affected her mother, who was diagnosed after many years of constant pain and then required a high-risk brain surgery to create more room for her brain and spinal cord. This is an operation with significant risk of paralysis and generally reserved for late-stage cases. Brenda does not want that worst-case scenario to become a reality for her.

There is a glimmer of hope in developments from Italy and Spain, where doctors at two separate hospitals have developed a less invasive operation that can be performed earlier in the progression of this disease to restore the flow of spinal fluid and avoid brain surgery. Brenda has been assessed by the surgeons and accepted as a patient to have the surgery. If Brenda can access this procedure soon, it offers real potential to slow or halt progression of the disease and relieve much of her pain.

The science is promising, and the success rate is high, but the financial reality is daunting. The surgery itself costs $32,600, and Brenda must travel and stay out of the country for about two weeks for recovery and follow-up care.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading Brenda’s story and for considering a gift. Your generosity would bring not only financial relief but renewed hope and more precious time with the people she loves.