As many of my friends and family know, I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome-Hypermobility, a connective tissue disorder. It's a progressive, often debilitating condition that, for me, often causes symptoms like full and partial dislocations, tissue tearing (think ligaments, tendons, skin, etc.), severe muscle spasms, and intense fatigue. The morning of Feb 26th, my C5-C6 disc burst in my sleep, causing immediate and severe nerve pain in my neck, shoulder, and entire right arm. Despite the 10/10 pain, I wanted to attempt outpatient treatment, but it quickly progressed to numbness in my hand and muscle weakness in my arm. After the MRI showed severe, dangerous compression to both my spinal cord and the bundle of nerves that exits the foraminal (side) space of the vertebrae—the kind of injury that would normally require significant trauma like a car accident or major fall—it was clear that immediate inpatient treatment was necessary. After being admitted through the emergency department on March 7th, I had emergency surgery on March 8th to decompress the nerves and fuse the C5-C6 level.

What many don't know is that I won't be returning to my job as a college lecturer in the fall, currently leaving me with no income. I've had the ability to pay some of the medical expenses, but I'm afraid I've reached a point where I need to reach out for your help and support. I will be eternally grateful for any support you can offer at this time!