Mandy Hackney medical expenses.

I'm here to tell you about my good friend Mandy Hackney. Mandy is a happily married mother of four. I work with her and she is one of the hardest working people I've ever met. At home, at work, or anywhere you find Mandy, you will find her always ready to jump in and help anyone who needs it. I had to twist her arm pretty hard to get her permission to do this, she never wants to be seen as someone who needs the help of others.

On January 31st Mandy's life was turned upside down. She was feeling "weird" so she went to the ER at our local hospital where the decision was made to send her to a larger, better equipped hospital. Mandy discovered she'd had a stroke. The stroke left her unable to open one of her eyes, her cheek drooped, and it was really difficult for her to move one of her legs. She had a battery of tests done, and on February 15th her eye doctor discovered that she had 3rd nerve cranial damage causing the problem with her eye. 

Mandy continued to wait for more test results and was feeling a bit stronger every day. Her eye was open again!

Then on Monday (February 27th) she was afraid she had another stroke and her eye closed again. She began to feel better so she waited until the next day to go to the eye doctor.

The damage to Mandy's eye was much worse and she was sent to ER for an emergency MRI. She was diagnosed with a Chiari 1 malformation "Chiari malformations (CMs) are structural defects in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance. Normally the cerebellum and parts of the brain stem sit in an indented space at the lower rear of the skull, above the foramen magnum (a funnel-like opening to the spinal canal). When part of the cerebellum is located below the foramen magnum, it is called a Chiari malformation." She's now waiting for an appointment with a neurosurgeon to decide the next step in her care.

Mandy has been off work since January 31st and has no idea when she wil be able to return. Her husband has also had to miss many days to take Mandy to all of the appointments she has to go to, The medical bills are piling up and their income has been dramatically reduced.  

Please consider giving to this precious lady. She has given so much to our community, and even now is such a positive force, more concerned with how others are feeling than herself.