On July 10th, 42-year-old Erin Fowler sat in an emergency room and received the worst news of her life: She has multiple sclerosis.

For months, the numbness in her legs had been slowly working its way up her torso, but her doctor and the neurologist she’d been referred to hadn’t been able to tell her what was wrong. Finally, an emergency room doctor was able to identify the lesions in her brain and spinal cord that were causing it.

Erin, a store lead at Men’s Wearhouse, is the sole breadwinner for her family; her husband Jonathan has been on Social Security Disability for the past several years. Last year, they moved in with her mother, herself on Social Security. Because multiple sclerosis makes the immune system attack the nerve cells of the nervous system, it can cause (among other things) muscle weakness and loss of coordination, turning Erin’s workplace into an obstacle course of potential hazards.

Unfortunately, she can’t afford to simply take off work while she goes to physical therapy and recovers her strength, so we’re reaching out for help to cover expenses for a couple of months until she can get back to work.

Donations will be used to cover monthly expenses (utilities, phone, car insurance, car payment) for the next few months. Any help you can provide would be gratefully appreciated.

My name is Kaycee Sweany (née White), and I've been friends with Erin since we met in high school 25 years ago. I'm handling fundraising for her, so she can focus on getting stronger and healthier.