Keira is my bright, energetic 10-year-old daughter, and she’s facing a challenge no child should have to endure. She has Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), a rare and incredibly painful condition that has changed her life in so many ways. Keira can only walk very slowly and for short distances before the pain becomes overwhelming. There’s no running, jumping, or biking—just gentle movements in water, which she loves, but even swimming has become too painful for her. If someone accidentally bumps her foot, it feels to her like it’s been slammed in a door.

As her mom, I’ve spent countless hours researching ways to help her and have invested so much—both time and money—into treatments and therapies. We’ve seen two out-of-state specialists, which insurance doesn’t cover, and I’ve tried every technique I can find to keep her pain from becoming unbearable. Through recommendations from other parents and a physical therapist in Madison, we’ve learned about scrambler therapy, which has an 80% success rate for CRPS patients. Unfortunately, this treatment isn’t available locally, so we’ll need to travel for a series of ten sessions, plus ongoing therapy to help Keira stay pain-free. None of these treatments are covered by insurance, and the costs add up quickly.

Any help at all to help my daughter get back to being a kid again and get her back to her love of water will be so very greatly appreciated from all of us who love and care for her. We’re so grateful for any assistance you can offer as we fight to get Keira back to being a kid again. Her strength and resilience through this challenging and painful time for her has been so, so admirable.