It’s the time of year again when we take the time to reflect on what we are all grateful for and spend time with the loved ones in our lives. One of those things that is easy to take for granted is our health, especially when we’re young. Unfortunately, life has a way of reminding us that not all are dealt such a lucky hand. In November, our family was struck with that misfortune.

Ashley Evans Winder is a 24-year-old wife and a mother of a spitfire two-year-old boy. She works as a CNA helping people every time she goes to work.

Ashley went into the St George Hospital in November just a week before Thanksgiving. She was in the hospital for a week as the hospital staff worked diligently to help Ashley figure out what was affecting her. The team was not able to help her find what had her down. She was released after she started feeling slightly better the day before Thanksgiving and three days before her son’s second birthday.

Shortly after, Ashley’s health took a turn for the worst. Eventually she was rushed to the hospital on December 4th. The team at Intermountain Health in St George worked to find answers as Ashley’s state continued to worsen. Ultimately, the decision was made to have Ashley flown to Salt Lake City and hopefully find answers about her health.

On December 11th, the hospital staff in Salt Lake City diagnosed Ashley with aplastic anemia. It’s a condition where a person’s bone marrow no longer makes blood cells. If it remains untreated, it can be fatal. The only treatment is a bone marrow transplant which they’re unable to do in St. George. The treatment is performed at the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake which includes chemo and radiation prior to the transplant of bone marrow from a donor. The treatment takes around a month of inpatient treatment followed by three-to-four months of outpatient treatment where she will have to remain in Salt Lake. This will leave her unable to work for likely eight plus months.

This course of treatment will leave them needing to find temporary housing in downtown Salt Lake. During the outpatient treatment Ashley will require 24/7 care. This is going to be a long hard fight for this young family. Anything you can do to help this family during this time when most are remembering how grateful they are for their family and health would leave them forever grateful.

Here’s Ashley’s Venmo as well: @kickaplasticwithash