Hi, my name is Denise Ingram. I am Nick & Keri Balcom's cousin. Many of you may have already heard the news about Nick's sudden and severe medical condition while on a family vacation in California. As there has been an outpouring of love and wishes to help & support Nick & Keri, we have started this GoFundMe campaign on their behalf. Every dollar raised will go directly to Nick & Keri, including a match to offset any GoFundMe fees. If you wish to send support directly, please send to Keri's Venmo at

@keriraebalcom

Last 4 # 0865

Who is Nick Balcom?

A 31-year old, 6'3" sweetheart of a husband (newlywed), son, brother (a twin), nephew, uncle, grandson, friend, and more. His mother best describes his friendly disposition as "Nick does not know a stranger". He and his wife Keri live in Yakima, WA, with their dog, Kaiser (ironic but true).

What is he facing?

Nick is facing a horrific trifecta brought on by an autoimmune condition (psoriatic arthritis), having the flu recently, and Humira medication (for his arthritis) which has this as a remote but possible side effect. Transverse Myelitis has caused paralysis and Nick is unable to walk or move his legs. Doctors at Kaiser have described this as one of the worst cases they have seen. He is currently paralyzed and, while we hold out hope, we are preparing for a long road to recovery.

Why do Nick and Keri need your help?

Nick will not be able to work and Keri will be the sole support. They will need a lot of medical equipment to support his new condition - both at home and for travel to doctors/treatment. The nearest Kaiser specialists are one hour from their home in Yakima, WA. Keri will need to take him and that will likely require assistance and time off of work. His journey will be long and they will also need in-home help with care including but not limited to, physical and occupational therapy. The day to day expenses will also be impacted by more fuel consumption and general supplies to help care for all of Nick's needs. He and Keri will also benefit from mental health support. It's a long list and your help will ease this journey.

Sharing their story from Nick's wife, Keri, below.

Thank you for all your love & support to show them they will not be on this journey alone. ❤️

Okay, I am ready to tell you the story about my husband, Nick Balcom. What we thought was going to be a nice vacation to see my family in Southern California turned into a literal scary nightmare. We flew into Burbank, CA on Wednesday night 11/30. Nick told me his back was hurting really badly after landing. We made it to Orange County, where my grandparents live, and he was still in awful pain. I begged him to go to the ER and finally convinced him. By this time it was Thursday night (24 hours later) and his back pain had taken an unimaginable turn. He lost all feeling past his belly button and could not walk or stand. (I am so grateful to my parents who ran to our rescue and helped me carry him to the car.) Nick was admitted within seconds and his ER team was absolutely amazing. Within 20 minutes they had started an MRI.

Since his time in the hospital (~1week) he has had a full body x-ray, CT scan, 2 MRIs, and blood work around the clock. He has also had 2 spinal taps and we are awaiting results. CT scans came back perfect but MRIs showed abnormality to the spine. The doctors are fairly positive that Nick has Transverse Myelitis. This is basically a virus of the spine. If you know Nick personally, you may be aware that he was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease after we were married last year. He has struggled with pain and swelling since. His condition made him susceptible to this virus.

He has an excellent group of special doctors on his case that seem to care for and are trying to find all of the answers. His neurologist, Dr. Skinner, is an absolutely amazing woman and she has given me a new light when I think about the healthcare industry. I trust her and her confidence. I believe now it might be a blessing that we are in Orange County, CA able to get the best care and needed answers, and not in our small town of Yakima, WA.

Nick has been on rounds of steroids and antibiotics. Tomorrow he will be getting a catheter port in his chest or stomach to start a procedure called Plasmapheresis. The team will be taking his own blood from his body, mixing it with good plasma, and pumping it back into his body. He will be in the hospital for at least 10-14 more days. I am holding it together but I am not going to lie - I feel sad and scared. I'm so very lucky to have the best Mother-in-law in the entire universe, Rhonda Beth Beyer. She flew down here to be by our side. We also have an amazing supportive group of family and friends. In my life, I have never felt sooo much love. Nick is doing okay but his spirit is crushed and that hurts my soul.

Please keep him in your prayers and thoughts as he battles the unimaginable. He is at Kaiser Permanente in Anaheim, CA, rm. 516.

Thank you for reading. We love you all. ❤️