Many of you, my family and friends, know about my great niece Kayla (Pat's granddaughter), but maybe a few of you haven't heard about her battle with a rare and devastating disease called transverse myelitis (TM). On February 26th, 2025, while getting ready for school during her sophomore year, Kayla began to experience terrible pain in her legs and suddenly collapsed. She was rushed to Joe Dimaggio's Children's Hospital in Hollywood, Florida. After many tests, we received the diagnosis, and after 50 days in the hospital with daily therapy and infusions, my sweet little niece has still not been able to walk. Kayla now goes monthly for IVIG infusions and has outpatient therapy three times a week. She has had some feeling in her legs—she says it feels like static—but for the most part, there is no movement, and she still needs a wheelchair.

This brings me to the reason for this GoFundMe. There is an institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD, called the Kennedy Krieger Center that specializes in TM and offers an intensive two-week therapy program. We hope this program will help in Kayla's journey to walk again. Kayla was very fortunate to be accepted into this program and to receive a financial aid grant to pay for it. However, the grant does not cover travel, hotel, or food costs for the two-week stay in Baltimore.

If you have the means to donate to this GoFundMe, our family would be forever grateful. Your support would be a wonderful gift that we would never forget. Kayla has such a great spirit and is facing this challenge like a champion, always with a smile on her face, but we know how hard this has been on her. Thank you in advance for any donation you are able to give, and if you are unable to donate, we would love for you to keep Kayla in your prayers. Thank you for your time and support. Love, Kayla's great aunt, Theresa.