Help Brittany Fight

A Journey Through Brain Surgeries - A mother and grandmother’s plea for help.

We never imagined we would have to write something like this, but here we are. Over the last year we have watched Brittany battle for her health, vision, and a sense of normalcy. As her family, our hearts have broken every day as we have witnessed her pain, struggles, and the overwhelming challenges she has faced.

We are reaching out to ask for help in a battle we never could’ve anticipated. Brittany was diagnosed with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH), Chiari Malformation, Myopic Choroidal Neovascularization, and Severe Papilledema—a combination of conditions that have left her in debilitating pain, with worsening vision, and in urgent need of multiple brain surgeries to prevent permanent blindness and life-threatening complications.

Her doctors have determined that her journey must continue with a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt, a procedure that will help regulate the dangerously high pressure in her brain. However, this is just the first step. More surgeries will be required to relieve pressure, protect her brain and spine, and preserve what remains of Brittany’s vision.

• Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH): Causes dangerously high cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure, leading to severe headaches, nausea, and vision problems.

• Chiari Malformation: A condition where brain tissue extends into the spinal canal, causing pain, dizziness, and neurological issues.

• Myopic Choroidal Neovascularization: A severe eye condition causing abnormal blood vessels to form under the retina.

• Severe Papilledema: Swelling of the optic nerve due to high brain pressure, which can lead to permanent vision loss.

We know, she is the last to ask for help, but we know that the financial burden of this battle is overwhelming for her and Dylan. Between medical expenses, hospital stays, surgeries, treatments, medications, and ongoing care, the costs are mounting rapidly and will continue for the foreseeable future. Brittany has continued to work, even when everyone has encouraged a break to focus on her health. But we would love to be able to relieve some of the financial stress that comes with missing work in the near future. We know that this will allow her to focus solely on recovery and not returning to work before her body is ready. She has depleted her PTO with treatments, local appointments, and travel to her specialists at UT Southwestern in Dallas.

Dylan has been incredible with our girl, but he has felt forced to take every TDY, assignment, and shift to make up for the financial stress they are facing. We know he will do anything to provide for their family, but we also know he just wants to be with his wife whenever he can while she is going through this.

They have done well to shelter their four kids from everything she is going through, but the struggle affects them too. She has always been devoted to protecting their innocence and their childhoods, but as her condition worsens, she is unable to do even some of the simplest tasks. The thought of her losing her vision or being unable to care for them the way she wants to is devastating. The kids need her; healthy, present, and able to watch them grow. We are fighting for her, but we are also fighting for them, to make sure they are able to grow up with their mom and Britt continuing to be the amazing mother she has always been.

Any donation, no matter how small, brings her one step closer to affording these life-saving treatments. Your generosity will help cover:

• The VP Shunt surgery and follow-up care

• Additional surgeries required for Chiari Malformation and IIH management

• Specialized treatments for her vision complications

• Medical appointments in Dallas and associated travel costs, medications, and recovery costs, etc.

If you’re unable to donate, please consider sharing her story. Every share helps spread awareness.

Thank You for Your Support

We are heartbroken seeing her slowly fade from the person we know and love. No parent or grandparent wants to see their child suffer. We believe in the power of community, kindness, and prayer.

Please keep all of us, but especially Brittany, Dylan, and the kids in your thoughts and prayers.

With gratitude,

Brandi & Judy