Many of you reading this can probably instantly close your eyes and know who your best friend is. Maybe somebody you met recently or, like me, maybe somebody you have known literally your entire life (almost 40 years for Robyn and I). That is why I'm doing this GoFundMe. My best friend deserves to live without pain and I want to make that possible.
When we were yonger, Robyn (Gantt) Stires could perform the neatest tricks with her fingers, legs, elbow, and shoulder joints. At the time everyone said she was "double-jointed" but we now know that not to be true.
A few years ago, Robyn's joint pain became unbearable and she sought medical help. Thankfully her doctor was able to see the signs of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) Type 3 "Hypermobility Type". This type of joint disorder affects larger joints such as elbows, knees and smaller joints like fingers and toes. Certain joints, such as the shoulder, patella (knee cap), and jaw dislocate easily and frequently.
When she first started being treated, it became obvious she could not work as a childcare provider any longer. Taking care of 3 children of her own and being a dedicated, loving wife to an amazing husband, can exhaust her. She has not given up on her belief that her children should be homeschooled so her days are filled with schooling, housework, cooking, laundry, and all the other tasks that come from being a stay-at-home mom. But the loss of income has been very difficult for her family too. Her husband works 60+ hours every week to provide for his family. But, as many of us know, with life's continuous expenses, its difficult for any family of 5 to live on 1 income.
In late 2015, while folding laundry, something many of us do daily without a problem, Robyn's tendon in her wrist tore and detached causing her to be in surgery then in a cast for over 3 months. Without the collagen in her joints to protects other functional parts like muscles and tendons, this is not an uncommon injury for someone with the level of EDS Robyn has.
Robyn's EDS causes chronic pain 24/7. She can take medication (narcotic) but does not want to because they do not allow her to be with her family the way she wants to be. Using her Faith in Our Lord has helped her through many, many painful days in her life.
Recently the most pain she has experienced is in her knees. Her patella is not staying in place so her knee joint is always on the verge of dislocation. Her doctor suggested an alternative to surgery that her medical team believes would be an excellent treatment for her. Its called Synvisc One (also known as hylan G-F 20). Its an injection that adds fluid in the knee to help lubricate and cushion the joint. It can provide up to 6 months or more pain relief for Robyn. The problem is insurance companies consider this an alternate medical treatment and her copay and other medical expenses are not affordable for her and her family. Her copay is $1000. After researching and asking questions on my own, I found out the additional costs for this treatment could be close to $1000 on top of the copay. So I'm asking for help for my best friend.
Too many people reading this, you understand everything Robyn does for those she loves. But what you might not know are things that she did for me many years ago. I was 10 when my father died. I was with Robyn when I found out. She stayed beside me through everything. I remember on the day of my high school graduation she handed me a card. I still have it...she didn't write anything sappy or tell me how great it was to hit that milestone, she wrote "Your daddy is proud of you". She knew, as did I, that my dad was looking down on me and smiling. When I went through some of the worst losses a mother could ever endure, Robyn was beside me through it all. To this day if I need her, no matter how much pain she is in, she is there for me. Over the years I've been blessed with winning trips to amazing tropical resorts through my career and I've brought Robyn with me many, many times. My way of saying thank-you for being my soul sister. I've seen her laugh during all the fun but I've also seen her cry because she couldn't do something she wanted because of the pain she endured.
Every summer Robyn and her husband run a Christian Camp for teenagers. Growing up we went to the same camp and when we went, we would have maybe 20-30 kids with us. Through outreach resources, social media, and simple word-of-mouth, there are now regularly over 100 teens who go to camp and learn about the Lord Jesus Christ and all that God has provided for us. This past summer at camp, Robyn struggled more than any previous year because of her knees. She couldn't stand and cheer on the kids as they played all the games and events she puts together throughout the year. She couldn't pick her youngest son up from the ground to hug him. And I've personally seen her struggle with something as simple as opening a jar of peanut butter.
I, like many others, want to see her pain free. I'm asking everybody to read this and to take a moment and put yourself in Robyn's shoes. Would you want surgery on your knees or would you want to try something that has been proven to work better first? I'd go with option 2. If you agree, and you want to see Robyn cheer with the kids this summer, please help. Any donation is going to help. The goal is $2000 to cover the total copay and additional expenses. I'd like to hit the goal by March 1st so she can make all the necessary arrangements with her doctor and have the treatment before camp.
Thank-you from the bottom of my heart for reading about this amazing woman. I've been blessed my whole life to call her my closest, best friend ever.
And Robyn...when you read this...don't cry...
instead laugh...because we all love that sound.
Synvisc One
EDS HyperMobility Type
When we were yonger, Robyn (Gantt) Stires could perform the neatest tricks with her fingers, legs, elbow, and shoulder joints. At the time everyone said she was "double-jointed" but we now know that not to be true.
A few years ago, Robyn's joint pain became unbearable and she sought medical help. Thankfully her doctor was able to see the signs of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) Type 3 "Hypermobility Type". This type of joint disorder affects larger joints such as elbows, knees and smaller joints like fingers and toes. Certain joints, such as the shoulder, patella (knee cap), and jaw dislocate easily and frequently.
When she first started being treated, it became obvious she could not work as a childcare provider any longer. Taking care of 3 children of her own and being a dedicated, loving wife to an amazing husband, can exhaust her. She has not given up on her belief that her children should be homeschooled so her days are filled with schooling, housework, cooking, laundry, and all the other tasks that come from being a stay-at-home mom. But the loss of income has been very difficult for her family too. Her husband works 60+ hours every week to provide for his family. But, as many of us know, with life's continuous expenses, its difficult for any family of 5 to live on 1 income.
In late 2015, while folding laundry, something many of us do daily without a problem, Robyn's tendon in her wrist tore and detached causing her to be in surgery then in a cast for over 3 months. Without the collagen in her joints to protects other functional parts like muscles and tendons, this is not an uncommon injury for someone with the level of EDS Robyn has.
Robyn's EDS causes chronic pain 24/7. She can take medication (narcotic) but does not want to because they do not allow her to be with her family the way she wants to be. Using her Faith in Our Lord has helped her through many, many painful days in her life.
Recently the most pain she has experienced is in her knees. Her patella is not staying in place so her knee joint is always on the verge of dislocation. Her doctor suggested an alternative to surgery that her medical team believes would be an excellent treatment for her. Its called Synvisc One (also known as hylan G-F 20). Its an injection that adds fluid in the knee to help lubricate and cushion the joint. It can provide up to 6 months or more pain relief for Robyn. The problem is insurance companies consider this an alternate medical treatment and her copay and other medical expenses are not affordable for her and her family. Her copay is $1000. After researching and asking questions on my own, I found out the additional costs for this treatment could be close to $1000 on top of the copay. So I'm asking for help for my best friend.
Too many people reading this, you understand everything Robyn does for those she loves. But what you might not know are things that she did for me many years ago. I was 10 when my father died. I was with Robyn when I found out. She stayed beside me through everything. I remember on the day of my high school graduation she handed me a card. I still have it...she didn't write anything sappy or tell me how great it was to hit that milestone, she wrote "Your daddy is proud of you". She knew, as did I, that my dad was looking down on me and smiling. When I went through some of the worst losses a mother could ever endure, Robyn was beside me through it all. To this day if I need her, no matter how much pain she is in, she is there for me. Over the years I've been blessed with winning trips to amazing tropical resorts through my career and I've brought Robyn with me many, many times. My way of saying thank-you for being my soul sister. I've seen her laugh during all the fun but I've also seen her cry because she couldn't do something she wanted because of the pain she endured.
Every summer Robyn and her husband run a Christian Camp for teenagers. Growing up we went to the same camp and when we went, we would have maybe 20-30 kids with us. Through outreach resources, social media, and simple word-of-mouth, there are now regularly over 100 teens who go to camp and learn about the Lord Jesus Christ and all that God has provided for us. This past summer at camp, Robyn struggled more than any previous year because of her knees. She couldn't stand and cheer on the kids as they played all the games and events she puts together throughout the year. She couldn't pick her youngest son up from the ground to hug him. And I've personally seen her struggle with something as simple as opening a jar of peanut butter.
I, like many others, want to see her pain free. I'm asking everybody to read this and to take a moment and put yourself in Robyn's shoes. Would you want surgery on your knees or would you want to try something that has been proven to work better first? I'd go with option 2. If you agree, and you want to see Robyn cheer with the kids this summer, please help. Any donation is going to help. The goal is $2000 to cover the total copay and additional expenses. I'd like to hit the goal by March 1st so she can make all the necessary arrangements with her doctor and have the treatment before camp.
Thank-you from the bottom of my heart for reading about this amazing woman. I've been blessed my whole life to call her my closest, best friend ever.
And Robyn...when you read this...don't cry...
instead laugh...because we all love that sound.
Synvisc One
EDS HyperMobility Type