Hello! My name is Amy and I was born with a rare bone disease called McCune Albright Syndrome. I have had eight surgeries since high school -- on my skull, neck, right hip, right femur, right knee, right ribs, left ribs and had a tumor removed from my pituitary gland. Despite all that I have lived a fairly normal and active life. I've done hiking, camping, kayaking, biking, gardening and many other activities. But in the fall of 2024 I had an unusual accident and ended up with an incomplete break in my spine at T4 (the fourth thoracic vertebra). I am now partially paralyzed from the waist down.

I was on a ventilator and had a tracheostomy which were both very challenging. I was in the Froedtert ICU for three weeks, in a long-term acute care facility for thirteen weeks and in rehab for three weeks and have been back home since March 2026. I have some movement and feeling in my legs but I will never walk again. This has been a huge change in my life both physically and mentally -- and a very expensive one.

I live alone in a small house, use a power wheelchair to get around and have a home health care agency helping me with daily activities. As the days and weeks go by I realize that I will not be able to keep up with the cost of home care, medical supplies, medical bills and more. My bathroom and kitchen sink are not accessible, I have to ride the Milwaukee County TransitPlus bus to medical appointments. So I am reaching out to see if I can raise some funds to extend my home care and/or improve my living conditions.

Some of my costs are:

Home health care -- $7,000 per month

Medical bills -- $15,000

Bath/shower remodel -- $7,000?

Transportation fees -- $270 per trip outside of Milwaukee County

Medical supplies -- $300+ per month

Used wheelchair van -- $25,000-35,000

I've never done a fundraiser like this before and I realize that many families are struggling in this economic environment but I thought I would at least give it a try. So thank you for reading about my situation and I'll keep working hard to make progress and gain more independence. With love, Amy