Hello. As a family, we don’t like asking for help, but my daughter (Arielle) is in need. Two weeks ago, she went in for a routine umbilical hernia repair and was discharged home. The next day, she had no movement on her left side, and a friend took her back to the hospital where she had the surgery. They initially thought she was suffering from a stroke, but the hospital does not provide neuro care/treatment. The neuro hospital had no available beds, so she was admitted to the hospital she was taken to. After numerous scans and MRIs, they determined she did not have a stroke but rather diagnosed her with Syringomyelia. This disease process is the development of cysts in the spinal canal that impede cerebrospinal fluid from flowing properly. These cysts are not like typical pus-filled cysts. They are fluid-filled, and the treatment is to have them surgically removed. As the cysts fill with fluid, they press on the spinal cord and cause neurological symptoms. Unfortunately, they could not get her transferred to the neuro hospital, and the neurologist told her they would not operate because they are concerned permanent damage could result. Instead of transferring her to a facility in Gainesville, Tampa, or Miami where specialists could further look into the situation and provide a second opinion, the physician and hospital’s case worker had her transferred to a local rehab facility for rehabilitation. However, the case worker told her transferring her by ambulance would be costly, so they told her to have a friend or family drive her. ‍♂️ She is now at a local (Ft. Myers, FL) rehab facility praying things get better.

Arielle is a single mom and sole care provider for her kids. The doctors aren’t sure what her outcome could be, and this has become a life-changing event for Arielle and the kids. I am trying to raise money to help with their everyday needs and any potential medical equipment she may need moving forward if rehab doesn’t work. Arielle is gathering information to reach out to other hospitals to see if she can get a second opinion on treatment. If you have the ability to help, it would be greatly appreciated.