Jennifer Hazelwood - Stroke Treatment Fundraiser

Jennifer Hazelwood's Story and Exciting Treatment Opportunity

On June 19, 2021, my wife and I were in our favorite vacation spot Gatlinburg, Tenn. @ the Pancake House enjoying life. Jennifer and her family, along with all our other children and grandchildren had also made the trip with seventeen in total. Ann and I were celebrating our fiftieth Wedding Anniversary and wanted to be surrounded by the people we loved most. Jennifer had decided to leave a day early because of her ballet rehearsal the next day. As Jennifer's Father, my worst fear has always been that something terrible would happen to my wife or one of our children, their spouse or grandchildren. As we were eating breakfast in the Pan Cake House I got that draughted phone call. We left right away not knowing what the future would bring. At the hospital, she was given top-of-the-line care and was in the neurointerventional suite within one hour of the event. The physician removed 4-5 cm of blood clot from her Left Middle Cerebral Artery. They believe the clot was caused by some unknown damage to her internal carotid artery, which was repaired during the procedure.

Jennifer has made a remarkable recovery. Through hard work, music therapy, physical therapy, and immense family and friend financial support Jenn is now able to communicate, move her right arm, and travel and enjoy life. However, it could be better. She has major trouble with cognition, reading, speech and driving long distances. She misses her teaching consulting work. Her beautiful dancing ability has not at all recovered. She wants what we all want for her, a return to her normalcy.

Well, on that front, there is some very exciting news. Jenn has been accepted into a very hopeful experimental treatment. Dr. Tobinick and the Institute for Neurological Recovery in Boca Raton, Florida have developed a novel treatment with a powerful anti-inflammatory drug, Etanercept. A dose of Etanercept is injected into the cerebrospinal fluid in the cervical area. This has led to remarkable results in the recovery of cognition and physical strengths, which is what Jenn desires the most. Please visit his YouTube channel for more information here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW6JqJ5Og8bwseJhvRIu4AA.

Of course, these treatments are very expensive. Over the next nine months, we predict about a $40,000 cost for the treatments. While Jenn and her family are blessed to have a nice, stable financial life, this is more than they can afford. This is why we are reaching out to all of our wonderful family and friends through GoFundMe, social media and word of mouth. As one of the organizers of the Lakeview Support LLC and the manager of her GoFundMe account, I ask that you please consider donating to help Jenn and Darryl with the costs and expenses of this incredible opportunity. She will leave to start her first treatment on March 29th-30th and return to Florida three more times for future treatments. Every dollar donated will go directly to help Jennifer with her medical expenses.

At the beginning of Jennifer's recovery and three-a-day therapies, our days were spent driving Jennifer everywhere, enjoying every minute of the time we spent with her. In this new chapter of our lives, I spend my days as her personal Uber driver and managing the donations you have given to help my daughter Jennifer. These funds, given by so many, are so very important. We are hoping and praying this treatment will make a difference. She has a long road ahead. When we talk each day about the growth she sees in the GoFundMe account and the talk about the generosity of so many, it brings a smile to her face that lights up the room. Listening to Jennifer struggling to speak, as best she could, but constantly improving, little by little, every day exemplifies her determination toward recovery. She is truly a model for others to follow. Having Vanessa, my other daughter and the love of my life, doing her thing with organization, planning and caring for Jennifer as only a loving sister could and watching that love between the two sisters grow and grow has always been a wonderful thing.

With an abundance of friends and family like you, every day is like a day at the Pancake House in Gatlinburg. Thank you all so very much.