Help Nathalie Nikka Therrien with medical expense

18 months ago, Nathalie woke up in a hospital and did not know how she got there. Her face was so badly bruised, doctors were sure she had fractured her skull.  To be sure they conducted a scan.  The good news was that Nathalie had not fractured her skull.  The bad news was that she had a tumor at the juncture of her optic nerve, pituitary gland and her brain.

For months, if not years before, Nathalie had been experiencing all kinds of strange symptoms and nobody was able to understand why: vision problems, weight problems, dizziness.  Just to name a few. And while the discovery of the tumor was not good news, finally, there was an explanation.

A year ago, Nathalie went into surgery to remove the tumor: surrounded by friends and family. Highly skilled doctors, they removed as much of the tumor as they could safely but with her eyesight and her key hormone regulator attached, they had to be very careful not do permanent damage.  And while they removed most of the tumor, they needed to leave some of it in place.  The good news: the tumor was benign.

Since the initial fall, things have been difficult: Nathalie has not been able to work full time because of either symptoms from the tumor or recovering from treatment.  All of which has taken a toll on her financial situation.  In addition, like many of you, COVID-19 has had a significant impact on her financial situation.

At the same time, over the last few months, the symptoms have come back: blurry vision, weight problems, fatigue. Doctors have confirmed what she suspected: the tumor has regrown and more treatment is needed otherwise things will get worse and eventually Nat will not be able to drive safely, is at risk of blacking out and more.

But with treatment, MDs can significantly slow the regrowth of the tumor keeping the symptoms at bay for upto 15 years.

Nathalie will be undergoing two months of daily radiation treatment.  She will need to move to Boston so she can walk to and from the hospital.  And while she will do her best to work as much as possible, it is not clear what impact the treatment will have on her energy.  On top of that, while some of her treatment is covered by her insurance, some of it is not.

As a result, Nat is asking, I am asking, for your help to offset her costs.  $50,000 will help cover the costs of her apartment, food and medical bills and recovery.  Nathalie has been a member of our equestrian community for 20 years.  We have always been a community that has stood by one another.  So we are asking for your support.

Thank you.  We really appreciate it.