Help Kennedy Get Her Independence Back

Hi. My name is Lisa Kaelin and I wanted to reach out to my friends and family because someone I dearly love is in need of our help. Kennedy Medley who is only 23 and the youngest daughter of Bart and Melinda Medley was recently diagnosed with RRMS which stands for Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. There is no cure, but only treatment for RRMS. It is a disease which causes a miscommunication in the body's immune system's cells. Instead of attacking infections, the cells mistakenly attack the nerve coverings of the brain and spinal cord.

Kennedy began showing symptoms this past summer. She was experiencing numbness in her feet and legs, migraines, blackouts, severe instability while walking, extreme tiredness and vision problems. She was diagnosed with RRMS after spinal taps and MRI's of her spine and brain. Her brain scan showed older lesions at that time, and as of September, there are several new active lesions. She was hospitalized for six days and given a treatment plan which includes physical therapy, water therapy, medications, and 6 hour recurring infusions.

Another suggestion given to Kennedy by her doctor was to look into getting a service dog that is trained in helping MS patients. Paws with Purpose is a non-profit organization that trains dogs to help with alerting others when Kennedy is having relapse episodes. Both of her feet are completely numb which makes her a fall risk. The dogs are trained to go get help if Kennedy experiences blackouts or falls, they also help with stability for walking/going up and down stairs . The dog will also be there for her as she endures the 6 hour infusions that she will have to deal with for the rest of her life.

The cost of the service dog with all of the fees is $3000. I'm hoping that everyone will see how important this service will be for Kennedy to regain some sort of normalcy and mobility in her young life. The thing is the Medleys are always there for ANYONE in need. Now it's our time to step up and show them that we are there for them in their time of need. Any donation big or small will be greatly appreciated. Please help us Care for Kennedy.