Help For Ava & The Brickey Family

Hi friends!

We’re Taryn and Laurel, and this fundraiser is for some of our dearest friends, the Brickey Family.

WHY A FUNDRAISER?

The Brickey’s beautiful daughter, Ava, is in the midst of a significant health crisis, and we want to come around them in any way we can to bring relief and support. This past year has been quite a journey for Ava, requiring many unforeseen significant medical expenses. The long road ahead will require additional resources, with the Brickey’s savings already being depleted. As you’ll see in her story below, Ava has a promising and hopeful path forward, but it will require much treatment, supplements, and medical care - not covered by insurance.

At this crucial time in their family’s journey, we feel an urgency to call the Brickey’s loving community from all over the world to rally around them. Whether through prayer, financial support, or sharing this link with your friends, we would love for you to join in!

AVA’S STORY…

In the fall of 2021, Ava developed unexplainable joint pain, muscular pain, and ticks along with repeated “viruses.” After coming back from appointments with no clear answers, a series of appointments began. She started bouncing around between doctors, chiropractors, rheumatologists, massage therapists, and physical therapists in an attempt to help her feel better. Although many of these things seemed to help her, her health continued to decline subtly.

In April of this year, Ava woke up in the middle of the night with uncontrollable abdominal pain and collapsed unconscious. After being taken by ambulance, Ava underwent all kinds of tests and was released as “clear” by the doctors. This incident began a two-month process of testing, scans, specialists, and multiple trips to urgent care and MN Children’s Hospital. During this time, she was on constant pain meds with zero answers.

Finally, after visiting a practitioner who specializes in mystery diagnoses, traces of Lyme Disease was detected in Ava’s body along with two tick-borne co-infections. There was so much relief in just having an answer and we are so grateful that Ava began slowly improving with monthly alternative treatments.

THE CONTINUED JOURNEY…

Over the last six months, there has been so much hope from alternative treatments, and although it has brought Ava out of an acute state of constant pain, sickness, and being confined to bed, some things are not changing. Since Lyme was undetected in her body for so long, it has deeply affected her immune system, weakened her cardiovascular system (myocarditis & heart issues), caused significant neurological symptoms (ticks, all over body pain and weakness, tingling & numbness), and affected her digestive system in ways that are currently life-altering. These lasting effects need deeper attention.

As Ava receives treatments and we continue to believe she will see healing, she continues facing difficult circumstances such as trips to urgent care and the Emergency room with concerning symptoms and attending school online at home regularly. Right now, she only leaves the house for select activities as her health allows.

THERE IS GOOD NEWS!

The good news is that a renowned clinic an hour south of them specializes in Lyme disease and has given Ava a plan of action for cutting-edge treatments and recovery. It could take six months or three years, but the doctors are confident in helping Ava feel like she can live her life again. The difficult thing with Lyme is that the majority of treatments for Lyme in the US are not covered by insurance, and they have currently maxed out what the covered options are for Ava. Our hope is that through this support, we can help Ava access these treatments and whatever else she needs to find a cure!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read Ava’s story! Love to you all!