Just a few weeks ago, our lives changed overnight. My husband, Brady, is a healthy, active 32-year-old who began experiencing numbness, weakness, and strange neurological symptoms that rapidly worsened over the course of days. What started as tingling in his hands and feet quickly progressed into difficulty walking, weakness throughout his body, and loss of function in his hands and arms.
After multiple doctor visits, tests, and a hospital stay, Brady was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare autoimmune neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves. He spent seven nights in the hospital receiving IVIG treatments to stop the immune attack and begin the recovery process. While we are incredibly grateful that Brady is home and continuing to fight, his recovery is far from over. Even though we saw some positive changes right after treatment in the hospital, since being discharged he continues to struggle with walking, numbness, pain, facial weakness, and significant loss of function in his hands. Simple tasks and many everyday activities remain extremely difficult. His doctors are hopeful, but recovery from GBS can take months, and some symptoms may take much longer to improve.
We do not know at this time when Brady will be able to return to work. Because his hands remain significantly affected, his ability to perform job-related tasks is currently limited. Unfortunately, Brady did not have disability insurance in place before becoming ill. As a result, we have suddenly lost a major source of income at the same time that medical expenses have begun to pile up. We are facing thousands of dollars in medical bills from hospitalizations, treatments, specialist visits, testing, and ongoing care. During all of this, I have continued working full-time (as a teacher on summer break) to support us financially while also helping care for Brady through his recovery. Trying to balance everything has been challenging. We are believing and hoping for a full recovery, but the road ahead is uncertain. Any support would help relieve some of the financial burden during this difficult season and allow us to focus on what matters most: Brady’s healing and recovery. If you are unable to give, we completely understand. Your prayers and encouragement mean so much to us! With gratitude, Monica & Brady
After multiple doctor visits, tests, and a hospital stay, Brady was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare autoimmune neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves. He spent seven nights in the hospital receiving IVIG treatments to stop the immune attack and begin the recovery process. While we are incredibly grateful that Brady is home and continuing to fight, his recovery is far from over. Even though we saw some positive changes right after treatment in the hospital, since being discharged he continues to struggle with walking, numbness, pain, facial weakness, and significant loss of function in his hands. Simple tasks and many everyday activities remain extremely difficult. His doctors are hopeful, but recovery from GBS can take months, and some symptoms may take much longer to improve.
We do not know at this time when Brady will be able to return to work. Because his hands remain significantly affected, his ability to perform job-related tasks is currently limited. Unfortunately, Brady did not have disability insurance in place before becoming ill. As a result, we have suddenly lost a major source of income at the same time that medical expenses have begun to pile up. We are facing thousands of dollars in medical bills from hospitalizations, treatments, specialist visits, testing, and ongoing care. During all of this, I have continued working full-time (as a teacher on summer break) to support us financially while also helping care for Brady through his recovery. Trying to balance everything has been challenging. We are believing and hoping for a full recovery, but the road ahead is uncertain. Any support would help relieve some of the financial burden during this difficult season and allow us to focus on what matters most: Brady’s healing and recovery. If you are unable to give, we completely understand. Your prayers and encouragement mean so much to us! With gratitude, Monica & Brady