Life Saving Surgery for Kristina
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Kristina is a loving and caring wife, dog mom of two, a Kent State University graduate, and has a passion for advocating for those with disabilities.
Kristina has been diagnosed and has historically suffered from several chronic health conditions outlined below. Links have been provided to learn more about each unique medical condition she has been diagnosed with:
Fibromyalgia
Raynaud’s Disease
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)
Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS)
In December 2018, Kristina sustained a labral hip tear while at work, which prevented her from working and earning an income. Though she immediately sought medical attention at time of injury, her pain was dismissed by the ER and her primary care physician as a symptom of her Fibromyalgia. Unfortunately, with no formal diagnosis, she was not eligible to receive short-term disability, nor would her employer allow her the time off she needed to properly recover and heal. In July 2021, Kristina underwent hip surgery and is recovering, which we remain hopeful this will allow her to regain some strength to face her other medical conditions and obtain the right treatment to improve her quality of life.
Over the past five years and more recently, Kristina’s health has declined significantly due to her underlying health conditions. Recurring and frequent symptoms include mild or severe asthma attacks, chronic and continuous pain, fatigue, lack of sleep, memory and mood fluctuations, poor blood circulation and numbness to affected areas of the body, blood pressure swings from high to low, fainting, shortness of breath, dizziness, severe allergic reactions to food she is not actually allergic to, and painful eating resulting in inability to eat and frequent vomiting leading to significant weight loss. Since the onset of severe MALS symptoms in early 2020, Kristina is down about 30lbs and is malnourished.
Of the several conditions she is enduring, MALS is the most debilitating and next in line to be addressed for treatment. This vascular compression syndrome is classified as a rare disease under National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), with an estimated 0.1% – 0.25% of the population suffering symptoms from it. Aside from immediate pain and symptoms she is suffering from, long-term effects without proper treatment could be fatal as she is at risk for abdominal aneurysms and will only become increasingly more malnourished. Through much time and research, Kristina was able to successfully locate a vascular surgeon, Dr. Hsu, in Danbury, Connecticut. Dr. Hsu is the world leader in MALS research and surgeries. On September 13, 2021, Kristina and her husband, Kyle, traveled to Connecticut in hopes for her final diagnostic and pre-surgery appointment with Dr. Hsu, which was successful and allowed her to officially be put on the surgery waitlist. Surgery is expected to take place in early 2022 and her recovery period will last up to one year.
While Kristina fights to remain positive and co-exist with these severe health conditions, the continuous journey to receive the right professional medical attention and treatment has been burdensome and stressful emotionally as well as financially. Kristina will need to travel and will be in the hospital for a minimum of ten days while having to stay in Connecticut for three weeks or longer for MALS surgery.
All donations will support Kristina’s medical bills and treatment, travel, and other basic living expenses because of her inability to work. Thank you all for your time and most importantly, please keep Kristina in your thoughts and prayers throughout this difficult time. Positive thoughts and warm wishes go a long way right now. The family will continue to update this page with new information when available. Thank you all in advance for your support.
Organizer and beneficiary
Brandon Roberto
Organizer
North Ridgeville, OH
Kristina Roszak
Beneficiary