Help Stephanie Fight Her Spinal Tumor

Help My Sister Fight a Rare Spinal Cord Tumor After Years of Misdiagnoses and Suffering

Our Story

Hi, my name is Krissi. I’m raising funds for my incredibly strong sister, Stephanie Couture (Lerold).

For the past three years, she has suffered through a relentless cycle of misdiagnoses, hospital stays, and unrelenting pain. And now she's facing the fight of her life: a rare spinal cord tumor, suspected to be an ependymoma, located dangerously high in her cervical spine at C2C3.

This tumor threatens her mobility, her independence, and her future. And after everything she's already survived, she shouldn't have to go through this next chapter alone.

Her Long Road to a Diagnosis:

Three years ago, Stephanie began experiencing severe pain. It started with kidney stones that required laser therapy to help break the stones and surgery. After her laser therapy, she woke up in pain, and they discovered a renal aneurysm, which led to an ICU admission. After that, she kept getting sick. Month after month, she returned to Mercy Hospital with high fevers, abdominal pain, and sepsis. Each time, doctors told her it was just a kidney infection, even though her kidney labs were always normal. They’d give her IV antibiotics and send her home again and again for over a year.

Finally, a covering OB-GYN looked deeper into her chart and discovered the true cause: a tubo-ovarian abscess caused by stage 4 endometriosis. She underwent three surgeries for her endometriosis.

After the surgeries, she was put on Lupron injections to suppress endometriosis, but the side effects were brutal: migraines, fevers, full-body pain, and flu-like symptoms. Even after the Lupron wore off, she continued to suffer from fevers, migraines, tingling, and a couple of months later, numbness in her arms and legs. The doctors had chalked it up to the Lupron injections.

The Tumor Discovery

In August, Stephanie started losing sensation in her hands and feet. Her primary doctor referred her to Noran Neurology, where an MRI of her brain and spine revealed a lesion at C2C3. She was initially diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), but she sought a second opinion at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

Mayo immediately disagreed. They weren't sure if it was a tumor or an autoimmune issue. Because of the lesion's dangerous location near the brainstem, they couldn't safely perform a biopsy. Instead, they started a 12-week course of high-dose steroids via a central line, hoping to shrink the lesion.

She endured weeks of quarantine, immunosuppression, and severe side effects only to find out the treatment didn't work.

Eventually, Mayo's neurology team confirmed it was indeed a spinal cord tumor, most likely an ependymoma. At the time, they recommended careful monitoring due to the surgical risks and the fact she was still mobile.

But now, the tumor is growing. And it’s time for action.

About Stephanie

She’s the person who checks in on friends and family even when she is not feeling well herself. She drops everything in a heartbeat to come care for her nieces. She has a special way of making everyone feel like they matter. She’s always the first one to say, “What can I do to help?” Stephanie is a compassionate nurse and a lifelong animal lover. She's the kind of person who rescues a stray kitten on her way to a 12-hour hospital shift. She's spent her life caring for others. Now it's her turn to be cared for.

Despite unimaginable physical and emotional pain, she has stayed strong, positive, and determined. But the next phase, spinal surgery, comes with massive risks, stress, and cost.

Why We Need Help

Even with insurance, the costs are overwhelming. The funds raised will go directly toward:

- Medical bills (surgery, imaging, neurology, labs, medications)

- Lodging near Mayo Clinic during her inpatient and outpatient care

- 6+ weeks of inpatient hospitalization and post-op recovery

- Lost income during recovery (she’ll be unable to work for months and she’s been out of work for a year)

- Pet care expenses while she is hospitalized and recovering

- Help with household bills (utilities, rent/mortgage, essentials)

- Transportation to and from Mayo for follow-up appointments

- Mobility aids or home modifications post-surgery

- Specialty rehab or physical therapy after discharge

- Groceries and meal delivery during her healing process

Please Help Us

We’re hoping to raise $25,000 to help cover surgery, medical bills, temporary lodging, pet care, household help, rehab, and everything she’ll need to get back on her feet. She will be inpatient for at least 6 weeks, and every bit helps.

Even a few dollars helps. A share on social media helps. A prayer or kind word helps. Together, we can make sure she doesn't face this alone. Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring. Thank you for being part of her healing.

With love, Stephanie’s family!

stephanie also has a Venmo you can Venmo directly to her : @stephaniecouture last four of her phone number is 5511

paypal: @stephaniecouture486

If you would like to purchase a T- Shirt you can use this link: https://www.bonfire.com/stephanie-strong-shirts-now-available160/?utm_source=copy_link&utm_medium=campaign_page&utm_campaign=stephanie-strong-shirts-now-available160&utm_content=default