I want to share the heartbreaking journey that my 11-year-old daughter Zoë and I have been on, and I'm reaching out for your support.

Zoë has Friedreich's Ataxia (FA), a rare, progressive, debilitating, terminal neuromuscular disease. FA affects the nerves (spinal cord and peripheral nerves), muscles, heart, and pancreas. Children with FA typically lose the ability to walk by high school, and knowing this, my mission has been to fill her life with as much joy as possible while she’s still able. I applied to the Make-A-Wish Foundation with the hope that she would get to experience something magical that I could never afford on my own. After months of anticipation, Zoë was selected and her wish to visit Hawaii was granted. However, our plans took a drastic turn. On September 9, 2023, the night before our flight, Zoë fell seriously ill. She started vomiting uncontrollably and had labored breathing. She was rushed to the ER at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where we learned that she was in Diabetic Ketoacidosis (her blood glucose was 683) and was slipping into a coma. Her condition was life-threatening, and we are so thankful that we got her to the hospital in time to save her. Zoë spent days in the ICU and on the Endocrinology floor barely able to move. The Ketoacidosis exacerbated her already declining mobility, caused damage to her heart tissue, and caused her to have slurred speech. She's home now, and her speech has improved, but her mobility has not. She can no longer walk unassisted, and even taking a few steps requires support. She now requires the use of a wheelchair full-time.

Zoë's life has been a series of challenges. At the age of 5, she was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (heart disease). At 9, we finally got a definitive diagnosis of Friedreich's Ataxia. And now, at the age of 11, her pancreas is failing, making her a Type 1 Diabetic. Adding to our challenges, after 22 years together, her father and I got divorced in January and I must move. The bi-level house we've lived in for the past 20 years has too many stairs and isn't suitable for Zoë's condition. For nearly a year, I've been desperately searching for an ADA-accessible/modifiable ranch style home, but I have not been able to find anything within my budget. I have excellent credit and a down payment, but every potential home is out of my price range as a newly single mom. With Zoë's mobility declining, my mental health has also been deteriorating from stress and worry. Our need for an accessible home is now more dire than before. That's why we are reaching out to you today. We are asking for your help in securing an ADA-accessible home that will make a world of difference in Zoë's quality of life. Any donation, no matter how small, will go a long way in helping us find a safe and comfortable space for Zoë to thrive in. Your support will also provide much-needed relief for my own mental and emotional well-being, so I can continue to provide her the best care possible. She’s my only child, my “Baby Cat”, my everything. Thank you for considering our plea. Your contribution and sharing of this campaign would be greatly appreciated.