For Christie's Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) Bills
Donation protected
[**PLEASE SEE UPDATE FROM THE FAMILY BELOW**]
Maria, Christie, or "Cre" as her family and loved ones would call her, has dedicated her life to helping others. Unfortunately, her lifelong commitment is being cut short due to a fatal disease that she was diagnosed with 2 years ago. This is a campaign that I am creating to help the woman who has always gone out of her way to help others.
Christie was diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). You can find more information about it here: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/patient-caregiver-education/fact-sheets/multiple-system-atrophy. This is a progressive and debilitating disorder which is getting worse every day. It affects not only the muscles, but also blood pressure and even the central nervous system. She now lives in a care home and relies on a walker or wheelchair. It also saddens me to hear her beautiful voice (which was used for recordings in big companies’ phone systems) turn slurry and slow.
A little background of Christie and my relationship to her. Christie has been a good friend to me over the past two decades. However daunting it may be to share a story so personal, I want to do so because I want you to know why your support will mean so much. Christie and I met in 2000 and immediately fell in love; we got married in 2004, and opened a fitness gym together in 2006. We have always been passionate about health and fitness, so it was our dream to create a space/community for others to do the same. We were happy and living our dream... until the 2008 financial crisis which turned our dream into our biggest struggle. The financial pressures of keeping our business afloat, in addition to supporting ourselves, was too much to handle so we eventually separated. Even as we moved on with our lives, we still cared for one another as friends, which is why I am trying to help in the best way I can, as MSA is slowly eating her health and life away.
Christie has a heart of gold. She has always taken great care of her health - even biking all the time. She would never hesitate to go an extra mile for others, using her gift of creativity to make gifts for them. From her photos, I am sure you can tell how much energy and joy she brings to other people, with the big smile of hers. Her confidence is contagious, inspiring, and encourages others, including myself, to step out of our comfort zone, to talk with anybody and about anything. Despite her degree in Biology and Pre-med, she never went into those fields because she did not care about the money; she merely wanted to help others through fitness.
It is devastating to think that such a selfless woman, who has always taken such great care of herself and others, will have to face this tough battle. There is no cure to MSA, which progresses gradually and eventually leads to death. Other symptoms tend to include impaired movement and coordination, slurred speech, visual disturbances, low blood pressure, loss of bladder or bowel control, swallowing issues, just to name a few. As you can imagine, she has been overwhelmed with the medical bills needed for consistent rehabilitation at the hospital and treatment centers. We hope you will support her (medical costs) in this difficult journey, by contributing to this campaign.
Maria, Christie, or "Cre" as her family and loved ones would call her, has dedicated her life to helping others. Unfortunately, her lifelong commitment is being cut short due to a fatal disease that she was diagnosed with 2 years ago. This is a campaign that I am creating to help the woman who has always gone out of her way to help others.
Christie was diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). You can find more information about it here: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/patient-caregiver-education/fact-sheets/multiple-system-atrophy. This is a progressive and debilitating disorder which is getting worse every day. It affects not only the muscles, but also blood pressure and even the central nervous system. She now lives in a care home and relies on a walker or wheelchair. It also saddens me to hear her beautiful voice (which was used for recordings in big companies’ phone systems) turn slurry and slow.
A little background of Christie and my relationship to her. Christie has been a good friend to me over the past two decades. However daunting it may be to share a story so personal, I want to do so because I want you to know why your support will mean so much. Christie and I met in 2000 and immediately fell in love; we got married in 2004, and opened a fitness gym together in 2006. We have always been passionate about health and fitness, so it was our dream to create a space/community for others to do the same. We were happy and living our dream... until the 2008 financial crisis which turned our dream into our biggest struggle. The financial pressures of keeping our business afloat, in addition to supporting ourselves, was too much to handle so we eventually separated. Even as we moved on with our lives, we still cared for one another as friends, which is why I am trying to help in the best way I can, as MSA is slowly eating her health and life away.
Christie has a heart of gold. She has always taken great care of her health - even biking all the time. She would never hesitate to go an extra mile for others, using her gift of creativity to make gifts for them. From her photos, I am sure you can tell how much energy and joy she brings to other people, with the big smile of hers. Her confidence is contagious, inspiring, and encourages others, including myself, to step out of our comfort zone, to talk with anybody and about anything. Despite her degree in Biology and Pre-med, she never went into those fields because she did not care about the money; she merely wanted to help others through fitness.
It is devastating to think that such a selfless woman, who has always taken such great care of herself and others, will have to face this tough battle. There is no cure to MSA, which progresses gradually and eventually leads to death. Other symptoms tend to include impaired movement and coordination, slurred speech, visual disturbances, low blood pressure, loss of bladder or bowel control, swallowing issues, just to name a few. As you can imagine, she has been overwhelmed with the medical bills needed for consistent rehabilitation at the hospital and treatment centers. We hope you will support her (medical costs) in this difficult journey, by contributing to this campaign.
Organizer and beneficiary
Buddy York
Organizer
Redondo Beach, CA
Maria Domondon
Beneficiary