Hi, my name is Mary Ellen, and I’m reaching out from a deeply personal place.

On May 23rd, my husband John was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare and extremely serious neuromuscular disorder. Since then, his condition has become life-altering. He is currently paralyzed from the chest down, requires a ventilator to breathe, and has a feeding tube to eat.

He is being treated by a dedicated medical team in Boston, but his journey has been filled with complications. Any progress he made has been lost due to these complications, and the medical team has determined that the best course of action right now is for John to remain in a medical facility for months, possibly close to a year, to rest and allow time for possible nerve regeneration.

Throughout all of this, I need to be by his side.

Being close to John means everything, not just emotionally, but physically. It allows me to advocate for him, communicate with his care team, and simply be present — to comfort him, encourage him, and remind him that he’s not alone in this fight.

But traveling to Boston for months on end to spend a good portion of my time with John brings significant financial pressure. That’s why I’m humbly asking for your support.

What Your donation will help cover:

• A place to stay near the hospital when necessary (as in the case of early morning doctor appointments)

• Transportation and parking to Boston medical facilities where John will be or months, if not a year

• Meals and basic living expenses during this long and uncertain period

• Basic cleaning and simple maintenance of our home while I spend my time in Boston

• Some simple comforts to give John something to look forward to while he endures months of exhausting and painful rehab to bring his body up to a functioning level - like a tablet and a subscription to NESN so he can enjoy the baseball and hockey games he loves so much as a respite from the PT, OT, and SLP. The rehab does not carry this station in their package.

• Medical bills

No amount is too small, and even if you’re not in a position to give, sharing this page would mean the world to us. Depending on what the future holds, I may need to raise more to meet our family’s requirements.

Thank you for helping me stay by John's side. Your kindness, compassion, and support are more meaningful than I can say.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Mary Ellen