Get Nancy home!
Donation protected
Nancy and Jay are the embodiment of love. Their 32-year journey has blessed them with four amazing children, two granddaughters, and an army of loving family and friends. Although this journey has been beautiful, it has not been easy. After only two years of marriage, when Nancy was pregnant with my husband, Casey, her car was hit by a car that ran a red light. The accident caused irreparable damage to Nancy’s spine and catalyzed all of her future health complications, but at the time all she cared about was the well-being of her baby, who was uninjured. Several years later Nancy was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and as a result of her accident in combination with this degenerative disease, she was told she would soon be paralyzed. This was at the age of 30, in the midst of three children and one on the way, a new house, and hectic work schedules. The inability to walk was not an option. With the support of Jay, Nancy underwent massive spinal surgery, beat the odds, and she regained her ability to walk. However, maintaining this ability, which most of us take for granted, has not been easy. Throughout the last 25 years, Nancy has had over 20 major surgeries, all with the purpose of keeping her out of a wheelchair. I first met Nancy and Jay when I was 15 years old. Anyone that knows them, knows how warm, welcoming, and loving they are. I immediately knew that they had become my family. Throughout the past 13 years, I have witnessed the good, the bad, and in between. I have seen them at their peak, having demanding careers and running a business. I have also seen them having to go into early retirement and claim disability. I have seen them welcome two beautiful grand-daughters and dance at their daughter’s wedding, and even travel to Colombia for mine and Casey’s wedding. I have seen Nancy fair a Chicago blizzard to attend Casey’s boot camp graduation, and I have seen Jay sleep away from home for nearly two months, just to be near Nancy during her post-surgery recovery. The last surgery Nancy had was two months ago, in October. Since this surgery, she has not been able to regain her ability to walk. The most difficult part of this story is that although Nancy’s medical complications have always taken precedent because of their severity, Jay has always been fighting his own battles. In July he was re-diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones. His doctors are very hopeful that his treatment will be effective, but due to the therapy, he is now much weaker than he used to be and cannot cope with the physical demand of taking care of Nancy. Currently, Nancy is in a nursing home four hours away from their house in Glenn’s Falls. In these two months, they have missed Thanksgiving, birthdays, graduations, and Christmas. Both her and Jay want to go home, they want to stop missing out on precious life events, and they want to enjoy time with their loved ones. However, in order for this to happen their house has to be significantly adapted to accommodate Nancy’s new needs. They will need to install ramps, lifters, and wall mounts. Insurance, of course, does not cover any of these expenses. The estimated cost is over $20,000. I have started this Go-Fund me because I can’t think of any two people more deserving of this, and I know they would never reach out for help themselves. If you can donate, any amount is greatly appreciated.
Love,
Catalina
Love,
Catalina
Organizer
Catalina Florez
Organizer
Furnace Woods, NY