Hi, my name is Amy Boike. My dear, lifelong friend has a grave need and I am reaching out in hopes that I can do something to lighten the load of this precious family. I am requesting help for Christy Cummings Bennett to get the financial assistance she needs to pay for medical bills and speech therapy. In May of this year, she suffered a devastating stroke that affected her ability to communicate. Just after the stroke she was unable to speak at all. She has, over the last three months, been able to gain back some of her ability to speak, but still struggles to communicate. She also is unable to read and write. This has placed a very difficult toll on her family. She is a mother to four teenage children that desperately need her to regain what the stroke took from her. It breaks my heart to see her unable to talk with her children and accomplish basic tasks.

Christy has worked very hard and made some progress with therapy she has received thus far, but the insurance has run out and will no longer pay for her much needed care. Stopping her speech therapy at this point would be a grave mistake. She is gaining ground, but she still needs so much assistance to communicate the smallest things. We believe that with consistent speech therapy she will be able to regain her ability to communicate and regain the life she once enjoyed.

Christy's husband works two full time jobs to make ends meet. Before her stroke, she was a small business owner and VIP online teacher to children in China. Her inability to work has placed an added financial burden on her family. There is very little left over each month for anything but necessities. The medical bills and therapy costs are more than this family can bear. I am reaching out in hopes that the money raised can allow Christy to continue her much needed speech therapy and assist with the mountain of medical bills coming in from her accident, stay in the hospital, surgeries, etc.

This family's situation is urgent and her future progress depends on consistent weekly therapy. It has already been a week since she has seen the speech therapist. The last thing we want is for her to regress because of the lack of support from the proper medical professionals.

Please open your heart to this family and help Christy regain the ability to lead a normal life.