Help Greg and Clara’s Family Through This Challenging Time

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To our dear generous, supportive, and active community members,

Greg Williams and his wife Clara are dear family friends to many in North Kohala, Hawaii.

Last week, Greg suddenly lost control of his limbs, sending him to the hospital in Oahu for days of testing to discover what was wrong. Amidst increasing symptoms and pain (even morphine wasn’t helping), doctors diagnosed him with Miller Fisher syndrome, a very rare variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome, which is an autoimmune disease that affects the nerves. While there is no cure, acute symptoms can decrease with proper treatment.

Doctors were able to give Greg immunoglobulin therapy in time for his nerves to begin regenerating, but they say the recovery process will be long. He is bedridden at this time, unable to move, and Clara has been by his side 24/7 for physical and emotional support. This has all but halted their income, while expenses continue mounting. Greg has also experienced side effects of being bedridden this long, prolonging his rehabilitation.

Doctors say Greg‘s recovery could possibly take up to six months, but we don’t know for sure. On top of dealing with the stress of the unexpected hospital stay, and fears about Greg’s future, the couple also had to leave their two daughters (8 and 15 years old) in the care of friends on the Big island while they dealt with Greg’s increasing pain.

This beloved family needs all the support we can muster at this time. Greg will be in a rehabilitation facility on Oahu, while Clara plans to fly back-and-forth to care for her children on the Big Island.

The funds we raise will help to cover Greg’s medical bills, since their insurance will only cover a portion of the hospital costs, and almost none of the rehab. Our goal is to provide them with a financial cushion to rely on, so they can prioritize Greg’s healing over the next several months.

Anyone who knows Greg, loves him. He is a jovial gentle giant, a wonderful father, generous friend, devoted husband, primary provider for his family, and he really needs your help now!

This is what community is for…to lift each other up when life’s unexpected curveballs come along. Thank you for helping however you can. Let’s get Greg smiling and thriving again!

*The beneficiary for this fundraiser is Greg Williams. This fundraiser was organized by Sally Woodcock and Clara Maia. Clara is Greg’s wife. The funds will go directly Greg Williams.*