Dear friends, family, and community;

We come to you with a deep sense of urgency, seeking your assistance in supporting our friend, Diana, a 57 year old woman who has faced many hardships in her life but the last few years have proven to be the most challenging of them all.

At 57 years old Diana has never been married and has no children. For the 18 years that I have known her, she has always been fiercely independent and self-sufficient. Until 06/05/2023.

On that date Diana suffered a cardiac arrest. Although she survived, she was left with an anoxic brain injury. An anoxic brain injury is different than a traumatic brain injury. A traumatic brain injury occurs when someone is hit on the head or falls and bangs their head, in cases such as those recovery is a long, slow process but improvement is a possibility.

In an anoxic brain injury, the person has been deprived of oxygen for an extended period of time during which the connectors in the brain die from lack of oxygen, such as in the cases of stroke, heart attack, etc. The average time before a person begins to start having connections in their brain die is 4-6 minutes. Diana was without oxygen for 18-20 minutes. She is truly a walking miracle.

The doctors have done MRI's and PET scans but they do not see any actual damage to her brain. She has regained full use of her motor skills and she has can speak fluently in English or Spanish.

Unfortunately this incident did rob her of all memories of her life before the cardiac arrest. She woke up in the hospital with no idea who she was, where she was, where she lived etc. The doctors deemed her incapacitated and required that she have round the clock care. The hospital refused to release her on her own so I had to petition to become her conservator for them to finally release her to me. We are writing today to share her story and to appeal to your generosity for help.

In addition to her ongoing medical challenges Diana is facing a critical housing situation. Her residence, the only home she has known as home, is now at risk due to the inability to afford the increased rent until her disability insurance kicks in. Diana's friends and caregivers have been doing everything they can to support her, including working with no paycheck themselves since she came home on 07/24/2023 to present. Her IHSS appointment/interview is on 11/14/2023. They will eventually receive some payment from IHSS but they still have to support their families in the meantime.

We are deeply concerned about her well-being and stability, especially considering the delicate state of her health.

To make matters even worse, if possible,Diana is also battling stage 4 cancer. It all started in 2019 when she felt a lump in her breast. Now it has spread to her spine. In the midst of all this adversity those of us caring for Diana find comfort in the fact that she does not remember her cancer diagnosis or any of her past struggles. She is like a sponge, thirsty for new knowledge and information. Her reaction to eating chocolate for the first time was priceless. Our goal is to expose her to the positive aspects of life and provide her with a fresh start.

Diana's journey towards recovery , stability, and a renewed sense of purpose requires significant resources. It is estimated that it may take up to a year for her disability to be approved. She has no other income or financial assistance. During this waiting period her housing situation remains at risk, and her immediate needs for medical care, daily necessities, and emotional support are mounting.

We humbly ask for your support in our efforts to assist Diana during this critical period.

Every donation, no matter the amount, will go directly towards covering her housing expenses, supporting her medical needs, , and providing the stability she desperately deserves. Your contributions will play a crucial role in providing Diana with a safe and secure home, as well as access to the necessary care and treatment that may not be covered by Medi-Cal.to fight her cancer.

To make a difference in Diana's life you can donate through 'GoFundMe'. Additionally. We ask that you help us spread the word about this fundraiser by sharing it with your network of friends and family and by sharing it on social media.

Together we can give Diana the support, resources, and a sense of hope that she needs to get through this and to create a better future for herself.

We are deeply grateful for your compassion and empathy. Diana's continued optimism and childlike wonder is contagious. Being with her has caused us to look at old things in a new light. I feel really blessed to have been here with her as she re learns the world around her and makes a place for herself in it.

Thank you, sincerely from all of us on Diana's care team.

S. Renee Mhoon