Hi my name is Tammie. I turned 50 years old last October. I am a daughter, wife, and mother. I adopted two girls they are 11 and 6 years old. We just moved to Alabama and live in a small community. Sadly on Nov 17, 2023 I was raced to the hospital after experiencing a stroke. After a lot of tests I was diagnosed with MoyaMoya.

Moyamoya is a rare vascular disease of the brain in which the main arteries that supply blood to your brain become narrowed and blocked. In moyamoya disease, the carotid arteries narrow over time. You have two carotid arteries on either side of your neck that carry oxygen-rich blood from your heart to your brain. My arteries are blocked and I am only getting a trickle of blood flow into my brain. I am not allowed to drive. I have weakness on my right side, and very horrible headaches since November. I was told I I did not get this surgery I will not survive the next stroke.

I was told there are a very few surgeon in the United States that does the type of surgery I need done. Luckly one of those places is at Vanderbilt Hospital in Tennessee.

After Nov 17, 2023 I was discharged from the hospital and allowed to go back to work until I can get into the surgeon at Vanderbilt Hospital. When I returned back to work my employer told me they were letting me go due to my health issues, but I could return back after my health issues are taken care of. What a double hit being diagnosed with MoyaMoya and losing my job. I feel like a failure. Now my family and I are struggling financially and finding it difficult to just pay bills much less find funding to travel back and forth from Alabama to Tennessee and pay medical expenses. My surgery is coming up very soon and my family really would like to be with me when I have this brain surgery. My wish is also that my husband and two daughters can be with me during this time. I do not like to beg for help, but we really could use the help. We are so over whelmed with stress this would be a huge blessing and relief with medical expenses. Could you please help us get to our goal so we can be together during my surgery and can afford the expensesof this lofe saving surgery? Thank you for taking the time to read my story and if your unable to help prayers are welcome