My name is Vanessa. I’m 31 years old, and up until 2023, I’ve lived a very healthy and successful life. In 2023, I started having rare episodes of dizziness and nausea. I was a store manager at the time, and my job was high demand. Shortly after, I lost my job and started having major sleep seizures. I would wake up in the hospital with no memory of what happened in the last weeks or months. I found out I had Chiari Malformation and epilepsy. I went back to work for another company and was having a hard time retaining information. The company knew I had the condition when hiring me but gave up on me a year later and let me go.

At the beginning of 2025, I got a second opinion from the only other neurosurgeon here in NV. He referred me to a cardiologist and sleep doctor, and I was diagnosed with a PFO and severe sleep apnea. With these respiratory issues progressing so fast, my doctor wants to do surgery. So on July 30th, I will be having a craniectomy and laminectomy of the brain as well as a spinal fusion. My recovery time is about 16 to 18 weeks, and my family has exhausted their savings to get me through, but I’m going to need a little more help to get through this recovery period. I would be so grateful for any kind of help at this point. I know times are hard for everyone, but I just need to get through this so I can get back to having a full, functional quality of life.