Fundraiser for Kiersten Dyke
Donation protected
Dear Friends and Family of Kiersten Dyke (daughter of Iben and David Dyke),
Many of you know that Kiersten has been dealing with some complex and baffling medical issues since November 2017. Since then she has been unable to attend school, and her family has been on an extensive but tireless journey seeking doctors and treatments that could help her. They have had to travel to various medical facilities throughout Texas and even as far as Pennsylvania in search of an answer for Kiersten.
I know many of you have generously asked how you can help Kiersten and her family. As you can imagine, the Dyke’s are juggling significant costs associated with Kiersten’s ongoing medical attention, their travel expenses, and other medical expenses not covered by insurance. The most effective and immediate help we can provide is financial contributions to help offset those costs.
We all know how kind, giving, and generous Kiersten is. I am personally so impressed by her ability to maintain such a positive attitude and that bright smile through her ordeal! Let's show Kiersten and the entire Dyke family how much we all love them, and that we are all here to support them in any way they need during this challenging time!
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Here is a summary of what doctors have found so far and what her family has shared with me:
It all seemed to "happen overnight". One day Kiersten was a healthy 16-year old, and then suddenly she was experiencing many unexplainable symptoms. Unfortunately, local doctors were not able to diagnose her, and she visited many specialists. She has visited the ER 10 separate times, she has been hospitalized 5 times, and her family has taken her to dozens of out-of-town trips for doctor appointments and treatments.
The diagnoses are pseudotumor cerebri (intracranial hypertension), dysautonomia, ehlers danlos syndrome, and probably MALS (median arcuate ligament syndrome). Simply stated, these conditions affect Kiersten's daily life in the following ways: they cause blurry vision, ringing in the ears, extreme sensitivity to sound and light, brain fog, leg weakness causing difficulty walking at times, stomach pain, dizziness, and fatigue.
Iben and Kiersten have just returned from Pennsylvania where a Vascular Neurosurgeon discovered that she had critical stenosis of a brain vessel, and he inserted a stent. This stent will hopefully restore proper blood flow in her brain to alleviate some of the pressure and therefore improve her symptoms. Time will tell... They will be traveling back to this doctor in PA for follow-ups.
Thank you SO MUCH for any donation you can provide. Some of you may be able to give a lot, some of you may only be able to give a little. No matter the amount, anything you can contribute will add up and become a huge help to the Dyke’s at a time they need it most. Your support will be very appreciated by Kiersten and her family!
Sincerely,
Tina Beamer
Family Friend and Neighbor
Many of you know that Kiersten has been dealing with some complex and baffling medical issues since November 2017. Since then she has been unable to attend school, and her family has been on an extensive but tireless journey seeking doctors and treatments that could help her. They have had to travel to various medical facilities throughout Texas and even as far as Pennsylvania in search of an answer for Kiersten.
I know many of you have generously asked how you can help Kiersten and her family. As you can imagine, the Dyke’s are juggling significant costs associated with Kiersten’s ongoing medical attention, their travel expenses, and other medical expenses not covered by insurance. The most effective and immediate help we can provide is financial contributions to help offset those costs.
We all know how kind, giving, and generous Kiersten is. I am personally so impressed by her ability to maintain such a positive attitude and that bright smile through her ordeal! Let's show Kiersten and the entire Dyke family how much we all love them, and that we are all here to support them in any way they need during this challenging time!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is a summary of what doctors have found so far and what her family has shared with me:
It all seemed to "happen overnight". One day Kiersten was a healthy 16-year old, and then suddenly she was experiencing many unexplainable symptoms. Unfortunately, local doctors were not able to diagnose her, and she visited many specialists. She has visited the ER 10 separate times, she has been hospitalized 5 times, and her family has taken her to dozens of out-of-town trips for doctor appointments and treatments.
The diagnoses are pseudotumor cerebri (intracranial hypertension), dysautonomia, ehlers danlos syndrome, and probably MALS (median arcuate ligament syndrome). Simply stated, these conditions affect Kiersten's daily life in the following ways: they cause blurry vision, ringing in the ears, extreme sensitivity to sound and light, brain fog, leg weakness causing difficulty walking at times, stomach pain, dizziness, and fatigue.
Iben and Kiersten have just returned from Pennsylvania where a Vascular Neurosurgeon discovered that she had critical stenosis of a brain vessel, and he inserted a stent. This stent will hopefully restore proper blood flow in her brain to alleviate some of the pressure and therefore improve her symptoms. Time will tell... They will be traveling back to this doctor in PA for follow-ups.
Thank you SO MUCH for any donation you can provide. Some of you may be able to give a lot, some of you may only be able to give a little. No matter the amount, anything you can contribute will add up and become a huge help to the Dyke’s at a time they need it most. Your support will be very appreciated by Kiersten and her family!
Sincerely,
Tina Beamer
Family Friend and Neighbor
Organizer and beneficiary
Tina Beamer
Organizer
Austin, TX
David Dyke
Beneficiary
