Help Christina Fight for Healing ❤️

**Help Christina Fight for Healing**  

First, I want to praise God for you taking the time to read this. If you’re unable to give financially, my family deeply values your prayers.  

My name is Christina DiGiulio, and I am a proud mom to four amazing children:  

- **Zach (21):** A dedicated college student in North Carolina working toward becoming a pilot.  

- **Elijah (11):** Our sweet son with autism who dreams of working at Build-A-Bear and owning a restaurant.  

- **Joshua (10):** A determined young man who wants to follow in his father’s footsteps by serving as a Marine.  

- **Cecilia (9):** Our beautiful dancer with a heart for animals and a dream of working with them one day.  

I’m also the wife of a retired Marine—our hero and my rock. Alongside our four wonderful kids, we have four beloved pets (Tommy, Coco, Freyja, and Autumn), making our home even more lively.  

**Why We’re Asking for Help**  

In May 2022, what was supposed to be a routine gallbladder surgery turned into a life-altering nightmare. Instead of relief, I woke up in critical condition—my oxygen levels, blood pressure, and body temperature were dangerously low. Nurses wrapped me in hot blankets, pumped warm air around me, and flooded me with IV fluids, but my condition barely stabilized.  

Despite these alarming signs, I was discharged just two hours later. By the time I got home, my temperature had spiked to **105°F** for five days straight. We pleaded with my surgeon’s office for help, but they dismissed our concerns, telling us to take Tylenol.  

Then, the unthinkable happened—I suffered a seizure that paralyzed me. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t move, and my body trembled uncontrollably. Even in the ER, doctors had no answers and still **gave no antibiotics.** The tremors worsened, my speech became impaired, and my body became hypersensitive to touch—causing unbearable pain.  

**My Diagnosis & Ongoing Struggle**  

After spending over **$8,000** on travel and medical expenses in the past year alone, I was finally accepted at the **Mayo Clinic in Florida**, where I was diagnosed with:  

- **Functional Neurological Disorder (FND)**  

- **Structural Dystonia**  

- **Apraxia**  

- **Premenstrual Exacerbation(PME)**  

These conditions have left me **wheelchair-bound**, struggling with severe speech impairments, painful full-body tremors, and debilitating GI "seizures." There is no magic cure—medications available are narcotics that would make me sleep but worsen my neurological condition, and doctors say I'm too young for deep brain stimulation, which only has a **50/50 success rate.**  

However, there is **one glimmer of hope**: the **Pain Rehabilitation Center (PRC) at Mayo Clinic.** This **intensive 3-week therapy program** is designed to retrain the brain, helping patients regain motor function and speech. The hope is that this treatment will allow me to **walk with a cane or walker, help speech and structure in throat and regain some independence.**  

**How You Can Help**  

We are trying to raise **$11,000** to cover the cost of this program, which is not fully covered by insurance, as well as travel expenses for treatment. My husband, David, works from home as my **full-time caregiver** while also caring for our children, making financial strain an ever-present reality.  

This therapy could change my life. It could help me be **more present as a mother, regain my independence, and simply feel like myself again.**  

We trust that God has gone before us in this journey and will provide in His perfect timing. If you feel led to contribute financially, we would be beyond grateful. If you can’t, we ask that you **please pray for our family** as we walk this difficult road.  

Healing is coming—whether here or in Heaven—and until then, we will continue praising Him daily.  

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for reading, praying, and supporting us.  

**With love and gratitude,**  

**The DiGiulio Family**