Dana’s Fight Against GBS

Dana Renault, a healthy, 32 year old eclectic artist, was working a normal shift at her retail job on April 7th. Like any normal day, Dana was excited to see her coworkers, and work with customers. Though over the course of the day, she began to feel a tingling sensation in her feet and hands. By the time she got home that evening, she had weakness in her legs, and eventually was unable to stand. Later that evening she was admitted to the ER, and by Monday, she was unable to move and breathe on her own. After a series of tests conducted by the hospital’s neurology department, Dana was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a rare neurological disorder in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks part of the peripheral nervous system outside of the brain and spinal cord. "GBS" symptoms can range from mild weakness to nearly devasting paralysis, leaving the person unable to breathe independently. Fortunately, most people eventually recover from even the most severe cases of GBS. After recovery, some people will have some degree of weakness. Since the body's own immune system does the damage, GBS is called an autoimmune disease.

Dana is currently in rehab after spending a couple of weeks in the ICU. She has a feeding and breathing tube installed to help her with daily functions. She received great care in the ICU as the disorder reached its worst and plateaued. After her plateau, she started to slowly recover. First it was head movements, followed by shoulder shrugs, then slight wiggling of the hip and leg and finally slight curling of her hands. Additionally, she’s able to breathe on her own, without a ventilator, for several hours, before exhausting herself. She has gone through so much but even then, that hasn’t dampened her spirit, especially with the love and support from family and friends. Doctors believe she will make a 100% recovery but the road will be long.

Dana has always had such a bright star. She’s a creative brainiac, a loving and caring significant other, sister, daughter, and friend. She is loved by everyone who meets her and has rarely met a stranger she didn’t like, especially at work. We’re asking for your help so that Dana can focus solely on her recovery for the coming months. We’ve already raised almost $2,000 thanks to so many generous donors.

We are extremely grateful and blessed by the overwhelming support for Dana, it’s truly beyond words, especially the folk that supported her work. We can’t you thank enough for the support!