HELP LAKIESHA BATTLE DEBILITATING MS DIAGNOSIS

HELP AUBURN/PALMER, MA PET GROOMER BATTLE DEBILITATING MS DIAGNOSIS

I am starting this GoFundMe on behalf of my daughter, LaKiesha Sciarra. At age 25, LaKiesha opened All Paws Pet Salon in Auburn, MA, in April 2012, which I helped her run successfully for 10 years. Shortly after opening her pet grooming business, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which was devastating news. Then, after Christmas 2021, she got COVID-19. We temporarily closed the business while she recovered, but unfortunately, she could not fully recover, forcing us to close the business indefinitely. COVID exacerbated her MS symptoms, and now she is experiencing debilitating burning pain and muscle stiffness throughout her body, preventing her from doing the only work she’s ever known – grooming animals.

LaKiesha has always been drawn to animals. She got into grooming as a teenager and found her passion by helping animals look and feel their best. She graduated Norfolk Aggie in 2005 and attended the Florida Institute of Animals Arts where she graduated in 2006. She worked in several salons before moving back to MA and opening her own in Auburn. She did all the grooming herself and was one of very few groomers who enjoyed working with cats and rabbits too. LaKiesha treated every pet with kindness and compassion. She worked through her initial MS diagnosis and worked through significant pain these last few years.

Unfortunately, we had no way of knowing her MS was going to spiral out of control just as she was buying her “Dream Home” earlier this year. She invested her life’s savings into renovating her new home in Palmer to accommodate her busy grooming salon on the first floor, only to have to suspend business. It brings her incredible sadness not to be able to do what she loves doing at her new location.

It is most unfortunate that her MS leaves both of us out of work abruptly at the same time. Right now LaKiesha needs my help at home so me working outside the home would create more of a hardship as she does not want to be left home alone in pain.

I am starting this GoFundMe to help ease the stress LaKiesha feels by not being able to work at this time and help her cover any living expenses and therapies not covered by insurance, etc. while she focuses on her health and applies for SSI-Disability benefits. COVID, has everything backed up these days and we are hearing that it could take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years for her to be approved.

Any contribution towards LaKiesha's living expenses while we try to focus on her health and reduce her pain would help bring comfort to her.

If you’re not able to contribute to this fund right now, as I know first-hand how tight everyone’s budget is these days, I would encourage you to send LaKiesha a get-well card or words of encouragement, especially if you were one of our clients. It would mean a lot to her to know that her hard work had a positive impact on pets and their families. Her self-esteem has been badly bruised by MS. Cards can be sent to: LaKiesha Sciarra, 1479 N Main Street, Palmer, MA 01069.

I wish everyone well and I sincerely, thank each and every canine, feline, rabbit and Guinea pig client and their owners that we have had over the last 10 years. We will truly miss seeing each and every one of you. Thank you all for your encouragement and support for LaKiesha and our family.

PS - if anyone can help me edit photos to fit on this fundraiser, help me! I've never done this before and the photos I have aren't fitting well here!