My name is Maila.  My husband, Jason, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a year ago after he initially lost vision in his right eye from optic neuritis.  Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is an autoimmune disease that attacks the myelin sheaths on nerve cells that aid in the transmission of nerve signals.  These areas that have been attacked are known as lesions - and it was discovered that Jason had many of them.  His doctors believed he may have had MS for years, but it wasn't until last year that certain nerves that were attacked brought forth some serious symptoms.

Jason has been pretty lucky so far in avoiding major flare-ups, but on January 10th he was admitted to the ER with a raging kidney infection.  During his first week, doctors discovered that his gallbladder had failed and had to come out.  Just as he was heading up to the inpatient rehab floor, he lost his ability to stand and walk and became wheelchair bound, most likely due to quite a significant flare-up.  About a week ago, he was transferred to Shelby Nursing Center to continue with his rehab.  With all that's going on, we decided it would be better for our girls to stay with relatives until Jason becomes more stable.  It's going to be a long road ahead to help him build up his strength on his left side and his balance.

The money I'm trying to raise is to help us find a house that will be easy to make handicap accessible.  The house we are currently in is not handicap friendly, with all the bedrooms and the only full baths on the second floor, and the only half-bath on the main floor being hard to access.  The other issue is that it's a rental, so making any modifications is a no-go. 

Being able to find a house to accommodate Jason's needs in the near future and down the road will help to bring peace of mind to the whole family.  While the ultimate goal of his rehab is to get him walking again, we both want to be ready in case it doesn't quite pan out.  We will both be forever grateful for the help that comes our way during this difficult time, as it will allow Jason to have more freedom in life.

If you also happen to know real estate that is (or can be) handicapped accessible, please do not hesitate to reach out to us!!  :)  Dream home would either be a wide ranch with basement, or a 2-story with master bedroom on 1st floor.  We are up to land contract, private sale, traditional sale, etc.  Let's make it work since time is running short!!