Hi – my name is Amanda and my incredible sister, Kristen, is in immediate need of critical brain surgery for an extremely rare and debilitating medical condition. Brain surgery is the only effective treatment option for glossopharyngeal neuralgia and Kristen’s insurance company has denied her requests to have the surgery performed by a qualified neurosurgeon.

She is currently unable to speak normally, which has ended her career as an educator. She can no longer exercise or exert herself without triggering painful episodes, and must take medication with very harsh side-effects just to get through the day. She is in significant pain, which makes swallowing, speaking, and sometimes even breathing unbearable. Kristen has been living like this since January of 2025. Now that she has found a qualified neurosurgeon to provide treatment and surgery, she needs our help.

Despite there being only a handful of neurosurgeons in the United States with experience diagnosing and treating this rare condition, through her research, Kristen found and connected with a neurosurgeon in New York City with the necessary expertise. However, this neurosurgeon is not in her insurance company’s network and her out-of-network referral requests have been repeatedly denied. Her only choice now is to pay for her brain surgery and treatment out-of-pocket. The estimated cost of the procedure and hospitalization at New York Presbyterian Hospital is $125,000. Not to mention the lack of income and additional expenses that continue to grow for her and her family.

Observing the impact of this medical condition on her life over the past year has been heartbreaking. Kristen is an incredibly kind, strong, intelligent, and energetic person. Unfortunately, her medical condition and the medication she is required to take have affected every part of her life. Being unable to speak has robbed her of simple things, like everyday conversations with her 12 year old daughter. As you can imagine, not being able to speak is very isolating and experiencing near constant pain is taking a major toll on her physical and mental health.

While the surgery is risky, without it, her medical condition will not improve. Please support Kristen’s efforts to get the surgery she needs. We will keep you updated on her progress and are forever grateful for any amount you can contribute.

With love,

Amanda Fallon