Hello, my name is LauraBeth Ryan and I'm humbly coming to you with a great need. It all begins when at the age of 28 I became bedridden due to a spinal injury and chronic pain. I was a very active mother to four sons under the age of eight. My world crumbled and the doctors offered no hope. However, I am a fighter and was determined to never give up.

I would remain bedridden for ten years and had to learn how to creatively raise my children. It was a challenge, but I also learned how to find happiness again even though I was confined to four walls. It was my faith that sustained me, and then the purpose that God gave me that allowed me to start a company from my bed, "Cheerful Hearts". This enabled me to motivate, encourage and empower others to overcome their challenges!

In 2009, I received a spinal cord implant as well as nerve ablations and was able to stand upright for the first time in ten years! It was an uphill battle to rehabilitate as well as grow my company. But with grit, strong faith, determination, and a vision to help others, slowly but surely I was able to succeed.

Many years later the nerve ablations were no longer working and I was once again bedridden. I then looked into the latest innovation of umbilical stem cell implant therapy. I had them injected into the lower spine and they worked miraculously! While I still had to use my mobility chair, the pain was significantly decreased and with careful pacing, I was able to walk and stand more and had greater mobility than in the last twenty years.

Life became amazing and because I was able to do more physically my dreams of seeing Cheerful Hearts grow were being realized. Until one year later I was hit with a bombshell learning I had been diagnosed with breast cancer. That was one and a half years ago. In the race to save my life I was forced to push my body beyond its limits and have still not fully recovered from all the treatment. I am happy to report that after two back-to-back surgeries with multiple tears, a large hematoma, followed by third-degree burns during radiation, I am now cancer-free.

Unfortunately, we were not informed or prepared for the surgical recovery period where you are not supposed to use your arms. I have always had great upper body strength and used my arms to push myself up out of bed, chairs, and to transfer. In having to do this after the surgery, I ruptured two discs in my neck which pinched nerves and rendered me paralyzed in both arms. It was terrifying. I lost all independence and now had to relied on my husband, Kevin, for all my needs. The pain was excruciating and for six months all I could do was lay in bed with my arms at my side.

Slowly I began to heal and for a few short months had most of the use of my arms back. But when I thought I was strong enough to push myself up again the discs were too weak and I became paralyzed in my arms once again. I sought out medical treatment through my spinal doctors and tried all of the treatments recommended to no avail.

This is why I’m reaching out to you now. The strain and inability to work for the last year and a half has put a great financial strain on my family. My husband has had to take on extra work as well as care for me and all the stress is taking a toll on his health. He is the one who is typing this for me right now.

We've decided that since stem cells helped me so much in the past that it is time to get them injected into my neck so that I can get back the use of my arms. However, we are under too much financial strain to afford them and medical insurance will not cover them. We are certain that this is the only hope of recovery.

The stem cells will allow me to heal and move forward with my vision; encouraging, inspiring, and empowering other women to overcome their challenges. And to live a life with more joy, and to never give up on their dreams!

We are in need of $8,500.00 for the procedure. This will pay for umbilical cord stem cell injections that will go directly into the discs of my cervical spine (neck) to regrow the damaged tissue and nerves, which will give me the use of my arms back.  What a miracle this will be!

We appreciate so much any possible help you are able to give. And it is my promise that once I am well and able to get back to work, that I will pay it forward in a powerful way!