Hi Everyone,

On January 22nd 2021 we welcomed a beautiful little girl to our family. For three days after she was born life was pure bliss. We finally had the little girl we dreamed of having. After losing a child to miscarriage a year and half previously, her arrival was one of the happiest days of our life. Our boys were delighted to be big brothers, our jobs were going well, everything seemed to be going right.

Day four after our daughter’s birth hit like a hurricane. The left side of my face went numb and I started losing strength in my left arm. My first thought was, “I think I’m having a stroke”. After numerous Drs visits, blood draws, a brain MRI, a spine MRI, and 2 lumbar punctures, a devastating diagnosis was given, “You have Multiple Sclerosis.”

Our world just got hit…. HARD.

Multiple Sclerosis is a progressive degenerative disease of the Central Nervous System. There is no cure. The disease is lifelong and can cause multiple forms of disability. It is believed to be an auto-immune issue where the immune cells target and attack Myelin. Myelin is the protective coating that surrounds the nerves. When the myelin is destroyed it causes damage to those nerves.

The cruel reality of this disease is that the medical community has not progressed any further than a continued cocktail of high-priced pharmaceuticals whose side effects can be just as debilitating as the disease itself. The condition of MS can range from constant pain, partial to complete paralysis, loss of speech, loss of motor skills, loss of vision, etc. There is no accurate way to predict the progression of this disorder. The one true underlying fact is that it gets worse overtime.

I just had another Brain and Spine MRI on May 17th, the results from these images show multiple new lesions throughout several areas of the brain. It has only been 2 months since the first MRI, my MS is active and aggressive, there are already over 45 lesions on just my brain alone and several on my spine. My MS neurologist said I am just one lesion away from being in a wheelchair the rest of my life. This is something I will not accept.

For those of you who have seen me recently, you probably could not tell there was anything wrong, I have somehow managed to hide the ticking time bomb I am walking around with. This is not something I wanted to share, most of you know that I am shy and introverted, I have been keeping quiet about all the symptoms I am experiencing. But as things are progressing, I must go out of my comfort zone and let people in, I have to be willing to ask for help.

I am terrified that at any time I can lose so much of the ability to provide and be there for my children. Every night I go to bed praying that I will still walk in the morning, that I will still be able to see my children’s faces, that the pain will be less. My job is to take care of them, not the other way around.

We are the typical American family, three children, spread out in age 10, 4, and 4 months. My husband is a carpenter, I manage a small family guest ranch. We were just settling into a good rhythm. We had started to pay back our debts. We could see the light on a bright horizon. This diagnosis is beyond shattering.

But here is the Hope!

HSCT Haematopoietic Stem Cell Treatment. This is the only known treatment to stop the progression of the disease. The goal of this treatment is to use Chemotherapy to erase the existing/faulty immune system and then re-grow a new immune system using my own stem cells.

A family friend referred me to reach out to a local man who fought this same battle. His story has given us a chance to stay ahead of the worst of this diagnosis. His story led him to leave this country for treatment and is one shared by many others who have hope. I have hope my story will soon follow.

I have been accepted to Clinica Ruiz in Puebla Mexico with a treatment start date of November 22nd 2021. The total cost for treatment must be paid in full 2 months prior to arrival so time is of the essence. The cost for the treatment is $54,500. This does not include travel, the cost for a required caretaker, take home medications (will need for 6 months), or any other expenses.

Unfortunately, this treatment is not available in the US and is not covered by insurance. After much research, including speaking with dozens of people who have undergone this treatment, I know this is my best chance at getting my life back. Clinica Ruiz has the highest patient volume and the safest and highest success rates in the world. The feedback I have received from all the people who have been there and done the treatment has been consistent, “do it as soon as you can”. The treatment will not reverse the damage done but it will stop any further damage from occurring. Some people have even seen some of their symptoms reversed which would just be an added bonus.

I cannot sit idly by and watch my body deteriorate day In and day out, so I am jumping into the ring to fight for my life. This is by far the hardest decision I have ever had to make. The treatment alone is intensive and comes with its fair share of sacrifices, and leaving my children for a month will be unbearable. But if it takes one month apart to have the rest of our lives together then the payoff is so worth it. I may not have asked for this fight, but I am going to show up to it and give it everything I’ve got. I have just completed my first infusion of Rituximab today, May 22nd, and will have another one in two weeks with the hope that it will help buy me time until November.

My children are my everything and I fight for them, now and forever! With God, my Family, and all of you on my side I know I can do this!

With my absolute deepest sincerity, gratitude, and humility, I thank you for any way you can help.

Now go tell those awesome people in your life just how much you love them, and spend some time doing the things that are profoundly important to you….im going to go love and snuggle my kids now and give thanks for all the beauty and blessings in my life.