My name is Christie, and my beloved 19-year-old niece was in a snowmobiling accident while on Spring Break with her mom, stepdad, and 2 little sisters. She has sustained a serious T4/T5 spinal cord injury, and we are told that she will likely never walk again.

Mikayla is a true light in this world. Her circumstances in life have been less than ideal, but she has always carried her head held high with a smile on her face and an infectious laugh on her lips. She is a natural-born comedian who always keeps us laughing, and we are determined to make sure that she never loses that magic.

Not only is she an undeniable joy to be around, she is also brilliant and wildly passionate about children and animals, which has led her to pursue a career as a veterinarian. Her pets have always been her constant companions through the ups and downs that she has faced, and applying to a preveterinary program after high school graduation was an obvious next step for her. She is currently enrolled in such a program at Southeast Missouri State University and loves her prevet classes. She is only a freshman but has thrived at school thus far.

We don't believe in "never". We believe that we can help her in her recovery and rehabilitation, but the road will be long and the costs will be high. We are humbly requesting support for her medical care and associated costs. The accident occurred in Wisconsin, and she will be undergoing a series of surgeries before she will be able to be transported back to St. Louis, which will also be incredibly expensive. We want to be able to get her the best supportive and rehabilitative care, including both physical and mental health services. We want to do whatever we can to give her strength, keep her spirits high, and help her achieve her dreams regardless of the outcome of this injury. At only 19 years old, she has her whole life ahead of her, and she deserves to enjoy that life to the fullest.

Thank you so, so much for any and all help!

With love,

Aunt Christie

****Update 3/30****

I literally start crying every time I check this page because I am so blown away by the generosity shown by friends, family, and even total strangers near and far. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! Our family is so very grateful ❤️

It's hard to believe that it hasn't even been a week since the accident... Mikayla has undergone a handful of surgeries and remains in the ICU. She has understandably had good(ish) days and bad days, but knowing my girl, I wasn't surprised by a message that I received from her best friend, who has been with her all week (you are an INCREDIBLE human being Hannah!!):

"She is still acting just like Mikayla, full of jokes and her usual sense of humor, which makes us so so happy. She is making jokes as usual and is still her sassy self, which makes us all so hopeful for the future. I truly cannot express enough that Mikayla has been so strong and she is still the same smartass that she was before !!! She wants me to let you know that she loves you so so so much. She has been so strong and her courage is truly so amazing. She was talking to me today about her future of being a veterinarian and how she was so afraid of failing her classes. Her grades are great. She is already considering school and I told her that she can come back whenever she is ready. She is such a strong girl who is already considering her future and I am really just so proud of her. She is so incredibly respectful and polite towards her doctors. She asks how they are doing and makes sure their days are going well, regardless of her situation. I am truly blown away by her kindness regardless of her situation. Thank you for loving her so much."

Please keep sharing this fundraiser!!! Every little bit helps. I have been researching clinical trials and rehab facilities nearly nonstop with the hope that we can optimize her rehabilitation and help her gain as much mobility as possible. Thank you again for the love, support, donations, and shares!!!

With love,

Aunt Christie