Eileen's Recovery

Hello, my name is Karen Hart and I am starting this Go Fund Me campaign in support of my cousin Eileen LeBlond and her family. In 2020, after a year of devastating symptoms and misdiagnosis, Eileen was finally diagnosed with a Chiari malformation requiring brain surgery. For those who do not know, a Chiari malformation is when the section of the skull containing a part of the brain (cerebellum) is too small or deformed, thus putting pressure on and crowding the brain. As a result, the lower part of the cerebellum (tonsils) is displaced into the upper spinal canal. Basically, your brain is falling into your spinal column. Unfortunately, instead of Eileen's symptoms improving, her symptoms progressed and worsened, leaving her unable to work or even participate in normal everyday activities most days. Eileen and her husband Rob have reached out and consulted with many doctors and special therapists, ultimately leading them to Mt. Sinai, Cornell and a few others. Unfortunately, these health care systems are out of network, but where the best specialists for Chiari malformation and CCI Cranial Cervical Instability are in the country.

Eileen needs to undergo another significant brain surgery to repair issues related to the first surgery with hopes of living a mostly normal life without a hard cervical collar which is necessary to control a multitude of debilitating neurological problems. I've decided to start a Go Fund Me page since so many family and friends of Eileen and Rob have reached out to ask what they can do. Unfortunately, the upcoming testing and surgery cost is astronomical and out of network. For those of you that want to “help” in some way, this is the best way I can think of, in addition to your continued thoughts and prayers for Eileen and her family.

Thank you very much!