Give Darla a Chance at Life-Extending Treatment

Hey friends and family, I have a very serious need for a beautiful woman and friend, Darla Lawlor Hammer. We have known each other since junior high. Never once did she have an unkind word for anyone. Even in the “precocious” middle school years, she was always the nicest person. She made everybody feel loved and safe, and she had the most beautiful smile and twinkly blue eyes. We have stayed in touch over the decades, and I have watched that same person evolve into something I might’ve expected, which is a happily married mother of two amazing grown sons with whom she’s very close. In addition, she ran a very unique daycare in Chico for about two decades, where in her relationships were so close that ultimately she became the daycare worker to her daycare kid’s kids! In essence, she created an entire community where families in her care became like her own family. When I look back, it all makes sense because she always had love for everybody.

Tragically, Darla was diagnosed with ALS in 2020. ALS is a terminal motor neuron disease. Darla has bulbar onset ALS which first resulted in her inability to talk, then to swallow so she must eat by feeding tube only. Ultimately as many of you know the disease results in muscle atrophy everywhere across the body.

Her health is declining, but there is hope for a clinical trial that could really help her A scientist at a research institute in Miami has recently been able to reverse symptoms in over 30 people so far and the improvements are lasting. Darla and her family are determined to get there. This is where we come in… As anyone who has ever experienced a chronic health crisis knows, money often becomes the biggest obstacle to survival and wellness. Your donations and prayer and simply sharing this post to your own FB page could change everything for her. We are trying to raise $20,000. Flights will cost $5,000 because Darla and her husband will need to take a third person since she can’t walk anymore. Handicap lodging will probably be $160.00 for six nights plus a rental car. The medical is close to $10,000.00. We have big goals, but as Darla told me anything at all helps. If we can raise the money for her flight, that would be a huge praise to God. If we could raise the money for everything, I can only imagine the stress this could alleviate for her family, and the hope it could give to her and to all of her loved ones. Thank you so much for reading this lengthy post and for any help that you can provide, it means so much.

XO