Hi my name is Amy and I am fundraising for my sister Kristina (or also affectionately known as Krissy by her family). Kristina has been a nurse since May of 2001. She was a nurse at Anne Arundel Medical Center on joint and spine for several years and then transferred to Mother Baby. She was passionate about her job as a nurse and loved caring for her patients.

Kristina's MS symptoms began in mid 2017, but was not diagnosed until late 2018. She required a surgery in 2019 that caused a massive flare with her MS that no one could have seen coming. Prior to the surgery she was still a very physically active mom, wife and floor nurse. Immediately following the surgery she was hospitalized for several months until she was transferred to an acute rehab. With this flare she lost the functional use of her left leg and bladder. Kristina was never able to resume her career as a nurse after this life changing event. Which left the financial burden of what was a two income family, now on the shoulders of her husband.

Kristina worked incredibly hard since this incident to regain her physical strength and independence with the help of PT, OT, and her medical specialists. While she regained some of her leg strength, it required her to walk with her forearm crutches and AFO's. She progressively lost strength and coordination in her legs and eventually became reliant on a manual wheelchair as her main source of mobility. In addition, she also developed significant vision loss due to reoccurring optic neuritis.

In late May of this year, she had a significant new flare that landed her again in the hospital. She has since lost the use of both arms, legs and then the new challenge of swallowing difficulties. At this current time, Kristina is able to be at home with the help of her wonderful husband Doug and two teenage children, Tyler and Logan.

We've since had to make some immediate changes to her at home living situation to make it safe and functional to be home, including the purchase of a handicapped accessible van, the installation of a stair lift and widening essential doorways for her wheelchair. However, we still have much more to be done to get Kristina the things she and her family needs to continue with her care at home.

Many people have reached out and expressed their concern and asked how they can help, which is where this fundraiser was born. Things that we still need obtain funds for are:

• A power wheelchair
• An electric hoyer lift
• Portable ramps
• Bathroom modifications
• Widening additional doorways throughout the home
• Additional modifications to the van for a power chair
• Adaptive equipment
• Visual aids
• Additional home health services (which are not covered by insurance)
• Additional therapy services (which are not covered by insurance)
• Prescription nutrition (which are not covered by insurance)
• Mounting medical bills due to Kristina's hospitalization's and very expensive MS treatments

100% of funds that are raised through this platform (minus GoFundMe's fees) go directly to Kristina and Doug Gibson.

If you prefer to donate via Venmo, please send to @Healing-stitches-20 (last four numbers are 3865)

If you would like to help in other ways, please send me a message!

Please know that all donations are appreciated beyond the words we can express. This has been an incredibly difficult journey for my sister and her family. And I think it is just as difficult for her to share this with the whole world. 

Thank you all for the love and support you send her way.

-Amy