Hi, my name is Nikki and I’m raising funds to help relieve some of the stress and financial burden for my best friend, Rachael Cote. For those of you who know Rachael, you know that she is always the first one to offer help to anyone and the last person to ask for it, if she even asks at all. That is why I am reaching out to ask for the help for her. On Sunday, June 4th, while at home, Rachael started to lose her vision. Her neck became stiff and she became nauseated. Rather than asking someone for help, she drove herself to the ER. What she thought would be an in and out ER visit ended up flipping her world upside down. CT scans showed that her Vertebral Artery in her neck was severely torn. She was quickly transferred to Abbott Northwestern hospital by ambulance and admitted on the neuro surg med floor. An MRI confirmed that Rachael had a stroke causing her to lose speech fluency and also hindering her ability to walk. She is currently on blood thinners and is being closely monitored for seizures and strokes. The next step for Rachael is to be transferred to an inpatient facility to do physical and speech therapy to help her relearn how to walk and talk. 3-6 months is the average time it takes for a vertebral artery tear to heal. We don’t know yet what the future will hold, but Rachael will not be able to return to work until the artery is healed. This puts a huge financial burden on Rachael and her 3 children. As a mother, I can imagine the fear and stress that she is taking on! Which is why I am reaching out to you! If you have anything to offer to help this amazing mother of 3 in her unknown road to recovery, please do because if there’s anyone who deserves it, it’s definitely Rachael. Any amount will help! Thank you!