Love for Kristen Andrews & Family
Donation protected
Kristen Andrews is a wife and mother to 3 (4 including her stepdaughter) and an incredibly talented hair stylist. Kristen has worked hard her entire life and has successfully made it through many obstacles others would've have been overcome by. She is a strong woman of abiding faith and has always used her testimony to bring encouragement to others. Her and her husband Daryl are extremely devoted parents who consider it pure joy and blessing to have their kids in their lives.
This past year, Kristen has faced her toughest trial yet. With increasing frequency and intensity of pain, limited mobility and eventually unable to work, Kristen sought specialist after specialist to help her understand and treat what was going on in her body. This past September she got the news she'd been searching for, though it completely rocked their world and brought discouragement. Kristen was diagnosed with RSD, or Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. There is no cure, it is extremely painful and Kristen and Daryl are facing a future that looks radically different than what they anticipated and have worked hard for. Throughout it all, they have remained transparent to their community, grateful for praying friends and for the actions of love that their community of family, neighbors and friends have already extended. Kristen underwent a procedure in October that her healthcare team were hoping would alleviate some of her pain, but it has, in fact, not helped. Instead, Kristen reports that most days she is grounded at home, unable to do the simplest of tasks. It is difficult to even imagine such a trial.
As mentioned earlier, Kristen can no longer perform the job she so loved and is immensely talented at: styling hair. Beyond that, she is heartbroken that her physical limitations have meant that her involvement in her kids' lives (especially 12 year old Ansley and 10 year old Ady) has been so negatively impacted. She has missed honors assemblies, band concerts, family gatherings, holiday parties and more and it has been so incredibly hard. This family could use our help, our love, our encouragement in any way.
This illness has changed things in so many ways, one such way being the financial challenges it has brought. Details about this are not necessary; the loss of Kristen's income speaks volumes on its own. Above and beyond being able to tangibly meet financial needs, our provision of monetary support at this time will bring great emotional encouragement during this season. I have chosen not to make this GoFundMe public because I do not in any way wish to bring discomfort to this family. Certainly they are in new territory, trying to figure out how to make needs known and accept help. Wouldn't it be Wonderful - Amazing even - to surprise them on the first day of a new year with a monetary gift generated behind the scenes by those that are moved by their story? I think so. So that is the goal:
We raise as much money as we possibly can over a short amount of time: 3 days to be exact. And on January 1st, we let them know what we've been up to and how their burden can, at least in some way, be lightened. Please share this campaign with those that you think will contribute, but do so via copying and pasting the link in a message or email. I am concerned that even one "timeline" or "wall" share on Facebook would give our secret away.
I will make sure to share with all contributors how the gift giving takes place and after the gift is received, I'm sure Kristen and Daryl will wish to express their thanks. Until then, let's please keep it hush hush. To be fair, I've participated in several GoFundMe's and I've not known of any of them to be done 'behind the backs' of the reciepients; that being said, should they find out, I don't think it will be utterly ruined and hopefully they'll see the desire behind the effort.
The transition from one year to the next often causes reflection for many of us. Perhaps one of the best ways you can honor Kristen & Daryl at this time is to end this year - or start the next - with deep gratitude for your blessings. Thank you for any way you choose to give, honor and support them and may your New Year be great!
This past year, Kristen has faced her toughest trial yet. With increasing frequency and intensity of pain, limited mobility and eventually unable to work, Kristen sought specialist after specialist to help her understand and treat what was going on in her body. This past September she got the news she'd been searching for, though it completely rocked their world and brought discouragement. Kristen was diagnosed with RSD, or Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. There is no cure, it is extremely painful and Kristen and Daryl are facing a future that looks radically different than what they anticipated and have worked hard for. Throughout it all, they have remained transparent to their community, grateful for praying friends and for the actions of love that their community of family, neighbors and friends have already extended. Kristen underwent a procedure in October that her healthcare team were hoping would alleviate some of her pain, but it has, in fact, not helped. Instead, Kristen reports that most days she is grounded at home, unable to do the simplest of tasks. It is difficult to even imagine such a trial.
As mentioned earlier, Kristen can no longer perform the job she so loved and is immensely talented at: styling hair. Beyond that, she is heartbroken that her physical limitations have meant that her involvement in her kids' lives (especially 12 year old Ansley and 10 year old Ady) has been so negatively impacted. She has missed honors assemblies, band concerts, family gatherings, holiday parties and more and it has been so incredibly hard. This family could use our help, our love, our encouragement in any way.
This illness has changed things in so many ways, one such way being the financial challenges it has brought. Details about this are not necessary; the loss of Kristen's income speaks volumes on its own. Above and beyond being able to tangibly meet financial needs, our provision of monetary support at this time will bring great emotional encouragement during this season. I have chosen not to make this GoFundMe public because I do not in any way wish to bring discomfort to this family. Certainly they are in new territory, trying to figure out how to make needs known and accept help. Wouldn't it be Wonderful - Amazing even - to surprise them on the first day of a new year with a monetary gift generated behind the scenes by those that are moved by their story? I think so. So that is the goal:
We raise as much money as we possibly can over a short amount of time: 3 days to be exact. And on January 1st, we let them know what we've been up to and how their burden can, at least in some way, be lightened. Please share this campaign with those that you think will contribute, but do so via copying and pasting the link in a message or email. I am concerned that even one "timeline" or "wall" share on Facebook would give our secret away.
I will make sure to share with all contributors how the gift giving takes place and after the gift is received, I'm sure Kristen and Daryl will wish to express their thanks. Until then, let's please keep it hush hush. To be fair, I've participated in several GoFundMe's and I've not known of any of them to be done 'behind the backs' of the reciepients; that being said, should they find out, I don't think it will be utterly ruined and hopefully they'll see the desire behind the effort.
The transition from one year to the next often causes reflection for many of us. Perhaps one of the best ways you can honor Kristen & Daryl at this time is to end this year - or start the next - with deep gratitude for your blessings. Thank you for any way you choose to give, honor and support them and may your New Year be great!
Organizer and beneficiary
Annie Ladner Biers
Organizer
Daryl Andrews
Beneficiary
