
Independence for Reaghan
On March 3, 2020 Reaghan walked into school to her 5th grade classroom like she had every other day. Except after she sat in her desk she couldn’t move her legs to get back up.
And what we hoped was a fluke incident has unfortunately become her new normal.
Reaghan has Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 13 (SCA13).
This is a rare progressive genetic neurological disorder that affects the cerebellum part of her brain. It affects her gait and she will sporadically lose the ability to move her legs at all for hours to days at a time. She has decreased strength in her arms and hands and has constant back pain. She also frequently relies on a walker as she becomes very unbalanced and uncoordinated making her very prone to falling. Her other symptoms include facial twitching and hand tremors. As you can imagine, this has been incredibly traumatic for her.
Sadly, there is currently no cure or treatment for her symptoms that are result of SCA.
With this new normal comes new challenges. Things like taking a shower are much more difficult than they used to be. Things like riding a normal bike are no longer safe. (Hopefully, we can get her an adaptive trike that would allow her to go outside and ride a bike) Opening doors and moving room to room are challenging. When maneuvering the wheelchair or walker. This is why I want to get Reaghan a mobility dog not only as a friend but also to help her get some of that independence back. Unfortunately, we thought we had found her BFF and that did not work out. Through a series of coincidences (or fate) we have potentially found a service dog in training that will meet all of her needs. The cost to get her dog is very expensive and it will be a stretch even while I work two jobs.
As we go through this process I am finding that insurance covers very little and the things that can make her life easier and a bit more “normal” are so expensive.
We appreciate all of the support, love and prayers. Anything received from this fundraiser will go directly to making our sweet girl’s life a little easier and allowing her to get her some independence back. ❤️
Note - As we have received several requests to donate using alternate options I have included our address and Venmo below.
Reaghan Cisneros
c/o Sheena Cisneros
5005 Cypress Palms Lane
Tampa, FL 33647
@Sheena-Cisneros