Jordan Olivares fought with everything she had against what she had been told was causing her paralysis. In Bakersfield, Jordan was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). Months later, as the paralysis continued, that diagnosis shifted to CIDP. Our family trusted that direction, researched those conditions, fought for treatments and built Jordan’s rehabilitation around them.

Then Jordan made it to UCSF.

Instead of simply continuing down the same medical path, UCSF’s teams went all the way back to the beginning.

They thoroughly reviewed how Jordan’s paralysis started, the order in which it spread through her body, her previous imaging, nerve studies, treatments and response to those treatments. They repeated testing, obtained new imaging and brought multiple specialists together to look at Jordan’s case with fresh eyes.

And approximately eight months after Jordan was first told she had GBS, UCSF gave Jordan and our family a completely different understanding of what had happened.

JORDAN HAD SUFFERED A SPINAL CORD STROKE.

The stroke affected the upper cervical region of her spinal cord and caused the paralysis that had changed her life.

Eight months.

Eight months believing Jordan was fighting GBS and then CIDP.

Eight months researching those diseases.

Eight months fighting insurance battles for treatments.

Eight months of IVIG, hospitals, rehabilitation, procedures and searching for answers.

Eight months Jordan can never get back.

Now we finally understand that Jordan is facing an incomplete spinal cord injury, and the rehabilitation she needs is different.
  We cannot change the path Jordan was on for those eight months. But we can fight with everything we have to make sure she doesn’t lose another eight months.

And that is exactly what we are doing.   WHO IS JORDAN OLIVARES?

Before paralysis, Jordan wasn’t just an athlete.

She was making history.

At just 9 years old, Jordan appeared on ESPN’s Year of the Quarterback alongside NFL legends Dan Marino and Steve Young.

At Seaside High School, she helped lead her team to the first CCS Basketball Championship in school history.

Jordan then became a Division I basketball player at Sacramento State, where she helped lead the women’s basketball program to its first Big Sky Conference Championship and first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.

Jordan helped make history at Sac State.

After basketball, she earned her Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Cal State Bakersfield and chose a career serving her community as a Probation Officer with the Kern County Probation Department.

She purchased her first home.

She was independent.

She had a career.

She was serving others.

She was building the future she had worked her entire life to create.
 On November 11, 2025, everything changed.

Within days, the former Division I athlete was paralyzed from the neck down.

Jordan spent 11 days in the ICU and required BiPAP support to help her breathe.

What followed were eight months of hell.

Repeated hospitalizations.

Serious infections.

Painful spasms.

Sleepless nights.

Digestive problems.

A severe pressure wound.

Tremendous muscle loss.

Her weight dropped from approximately 150 pounds to 104 pounds and eventually to just 89 pounds.

A feeding tube was being planned because Jordan desperately needed nutrition, and her blood levels became so concerning that she was approaching the need for a blood transfusion.

During one of the most vulnerable periods of Jordan’s life, while hospitalized at the trauma center, Jordan also reported being verbally sexually harassed by an EKG technician during a medical procedure. She immediately reported the incident and filed a formal complaint with his supervisor.

Jordan had endured enough.

Her body was declining.

We still had questions.

So our family pushed for a higher level of care.
  WE FOUGHT TO GET JORDAN TO UCSF
  And getting there changed the direction of this fight.

UCSF didn’t just look at Jordan as the patient lying in front of them eight months later.

They went back to Day 1.

They wanted to know exactly what happened when Jordan first became sick.

Where did the weakness begin?

What moved first?

Where did it spread next?

How quickly did the paralysis progress?

What did the original imaging show?

What did the nerve studies show?

How had Jordan responded to treatment?

What fit and what didn’t?

They reviewed months of records and previous testing.

They performed new MRIs.

More blood work.

New nerve conduction testing.

Additional neurological testing and imaging.

Multiple specialists came together to study Jordan’s case.

They were thorough.

They listened.

They questioned.

They tested.

They reviewed.

They started from the beginning.

And that work ultimately led to the diagnosis that changed Jordan’s entire rehabilitation path:

 SPINAL CORD STROKE.
 The cause of her paralysis was a spinal cord stroke.   We had spent eight months believing we were fighting one battle.

Now we finally knew we were fighting another.

And then came the word that gave us hope:

INCOMPLETE.

Jordan’s spinal cord injury is incomplete.

She was transferred to UCSF Hyde Acute Rehabilitation, where intensive physical and occupational therapy began.

And Jordan went to work.

Her weight climbed from 89 pounds to over 105 pounds and continues to increase.

The feeding tube was NOT NEEDED.

Her wound continued HEALING.

After nearly nine months, her catheter was REMOVED.

Her bladder function began improving.

Her trunk became stronger.

She continued developing movement in her left arm.

And less than seven days into acute rehabilitation…

 JORDAN STOOD. ❤️
  After months of paralysis, the former Division I basketball player was supported upright on her own two feet.

The same legs that once carried Jordan down a basketball court and helped Sacramento State make history were underneath her again.

She needed assistance.

But she stood.

Now Jordan wants to keep standing.

She wants to become stronger.

She wants to work toward taking steps.

She wants to fight for every bit of independence her body may be capable of regaining.
  BUT WE HAVE HIT ANOTHER WALL.
  Jordan has completed acute inpatient rehabilitation.

She now needs aggressive outpatient/in rehabilitation spinal cord neurological rehabilitation.

We have searched Bakersfield, but we have not been able to find an outpatient facility there that will currently accept Jordan and provide the level of rehabilitation and equipment she needs.

So we are expanding our search into Monterey County and surrounding areas, trying to find the right program to continue what UCSF started.

But there is something we refuse to do:
  LET JORDAN LOSE MORE TIME.

 She has already spent eight months traveling down a completely different medical path.

While we search for the right outpatient program, she is purchasing rehabilitation equipment herself  so she  can continue physical therapy at home while she waits for help.  She needs Standing equipment to keep getting her upright.

UBE/upper-body cycling equipment to rebuild strength.

Strengthening and adaptive equipment.

Transfer equipment.

Anything appropriate that can help bridge the gap until we find the rehabilitation program  THIS IS WHY WE ARE ASKING FOR HELP.
  The donations previously made to Jordan helped carry her through these devastating months medical needs, transportation, paid 7 months of mortgage and everyday living expenses while she could not work.

Those funds have now been depleted.

Jordan cannot return to her work as a probation officer right now, and she does not have enough work credits to qualify for disability benefits.   State  disability hads denied her too.  But rehabilitation doesn’t stop.

Medical expenses don’t stop.

Transportation doesn’t stop.

Her mortgage is now on hold month by month.

And Jordan’s recovery cannot stop because the money runs out.

We cannot give Jordan those eight months back.

But we can help her fight for every day ahead.
  Your donations can help her purchase the standing and rehabilitation equipment, standup walker, neuromuscular stimulation machine, and much more.  Insurance won’t cover because she needs an order however she doesn’t have a rehabilitation Dr to get an order. She also needs, to find specialized outpatient rehabilitation outside Bakersfield, continue physical and occupational therapy, travel to medical appointments and keep her home accessible while she fights to regain independence.
 There are no guarantees about how far Jordan’s spinal cord recovery will go.

But she deserves the opportunity to find out.

This is a young lady  who competed at the Division I level.

She helped Sacramento State make history.

She earned her master’s degree.

She became a probation officer and dedicated herself to serving her community.

She built her own life.

And then suddenly she had to start fighting for something most of us did this morning without even thinking about it:

Standing up.

Jordan once fought for championships.

Now she’s fighting to stand.

She’s fighting for movement.

She’s fighting for independence.

She’s fighting for her next step.
 We have searched for suitable rehabilitation in Bakersfield, Monterey County, and Santa Clara, but the facilities we contacted either could not accommodate Jordan’s level of spinal cord injury or were limited by insurance requirements. Or just wouldn’t call us back. 

SCI-FIT Fresno has the specialized equipment, knowledge, and experience Jordan needs. Because they do not accept insurance, they can work with clients like Jordan without being restricted by insurance criteria.

Our goal is for Jordan to train 3 hours a day, 2 days a week.

Consistent training could help her continue strengthening her body, improving her mobility, developing new skills, and working toward greater independence.

❤️ YOU CAN SPONSOR JORDAN’S RECOVERY through GoFundMe. For those who prefer to donate directly, please text [phone redacted] or send me a DM, and I’ll gladly provide the information.  I can also get you connected directly to the facility contact. Her account is already setup. 

Here is the breakdown:  ❤️ $125 — Sponsor 1 hour of training ❤️ $375 — Sponsor one day of training (3 hours)
  ❤️ $750 — Sponsor one week of training (2 days)  ❤️ $3,000 — Sponsor 4 weeks of training ❤️ Any amount and every dollar helps Jordan keep moving forward!
  If you can donate, share this post that may  help open doors to an outpatient/in rehabilitation facilities. Help us give  Jordan the rehabilitation, standing equipment and resources she needs to continue this fight.

If you cannot donate, please share her story. One share could reach the rehabilitation center, specialist, therapist or person who opens the next door.   Please  continue praying for Jordan’s healing, strength, movement and recovery.

She made history as a D1 athlete.

She built a career serving others as a probation officer.

She survived the ICU.

She survived eight months of hell.

She finally got a new direction.

And she stood.

Now help Jordan fight for her next step.  Feel free to contact us directly (831 ) [phone redacted] The comeback is greater than the setback.

With love and gratitude,
The Olivares Family

Jhailyn Bryant

MARVIN CRUTCHFIELD

Miranda Zubiate

Katherine McLachlan

Sara Pashin

Lawanda Bouyea

Olivia Carranza

Demetra Jamson

Linda Moore

Anonymous

Mary Allen

Adriana Bueno

William Sutton

D1 Athlete Told GBS 8 Months Later, Spinal Stroke

D1 Athlete Told GBS 8 Months Later, Spinal Stroke

Still $3,535 to go. Help us build momentum.