Update: Stacey continues her recovery with therapy and the help of her family. As the treatment continues, costs have continued to rise. Please help Stacey with support for the therapy and medical interventions she needs.

Many of us know and love Anastasia "Stacey" Rechnitzer. Stacey is a mother of 10 year old adorable son named James, the wife of a veteran, and the friend of so many. Stacey has been a community member here in Pinellas County for over 35 years and has been an educator for over 20 years. She has touched many lives with her loving personality and has helped so many students realize their dreams.

On May 24th, Stacey began experiencing tingling in her left hand and shoulder. After going to the ER she was sent home with a diagnosis of a pulled muscle. Later that night she awoke to numbness and tingling throughout her body. Thankfully she was able to be admitted to the local hospital where she was diagnosed with spinal stenosis and had to undergo major emergency spinal surgery from her C2 to T2 which was extremely intense.

The prognosis was touch and go while Stacey was experiencing paralysis so intensive therapy was required. Stacey went from ICU to Encompass Rehab for daily intense rehab to determine if she would be able to use her arms and hands or even walk again one day. With Stacey’s determination and the help of her wonderful sisters, she began moving around and gaining her strength each day. First she started moving her hands and arms and eventually was able to walk a few steps. On June 04th, Stacey walked 10 steps! By June 06th she was going to PT without any pain medication. By June 11th she was up to 58 steps and by June 13th she had reached 100 steps! The therapists at Encompass were incredible and Faye stayed by Stacey’s side to encourage and support her. But Stacey did the hardest work of all! The doctors were thrilled! Her progress has been incredible! Stacey was unable to return to her home in Safety Harbor due to living in a second floor condo without an elevator so she is continuing her recover in Georgia surrounded by her family.

To add insult to injury, Stacey’s husband PJ lost his job and their only source of income during this difficult time. Thankfully, PJ is a veteran and has been able to keep their insurance active so Stacey can continue to receive excellent care, but they have an abundance of deductibles and copays that are adding up. Additionally, different medical devices aren't covered by insurance even though they are strongly recommended by Stacey’s neurosurgeon like the ActaStim-S which is a spine fusion stimulator to speed recovery after major back surgery but costs over $700.

During this time Stacey needs to focus on her recovery in hopes of regaining full movement within the next year. For this to happen, we need your help to relieve Stacey’s financial burden due to these mounting medical bills. If you are able to help, please donate and share! We understand that times are tough, so if you are unable to help, please share so we can reach as many friends as possible!