Save Syndi's Home

Syndi Knowlton is well known in Utah’s special needs community, and a local hero to many who struggle with the daily tasks of multiple doctors visits, children with feeding tubes, multiple diagnoses and all other things that come with having a child, or multiple children, with special needs. In 2011, Syndi started an unofficial group called Utah Kids Foundation, which later became an official non-profit group in 2014, after her own 3 children were diagnosed with severe and rare disorders. She realized the lack of resources and support for parents like her and decided it was time to make a change and create those resources needed to tackle life with 3 disabled kids. Utah Kids Foundation focuses on conserving medical supplies in Utah and assisting families with disabilities with obtaining medical supplies and/or equipment at little to no cost. They also have the largest online support network for special needs in the state. They currently serve over 4600 families in the state of Utah and work tirelessly everyday to find more. They proudly run programs during major holidays, like Christmas, that sponsor families with serious amounts of medical debt who lack the means to provide Christmas to their family.  Syndi has poured her life and soul into helping these families get the resources they need in order to succeed and feel comfortable caring for such special kids despite her own deteriorating health issues. 

15 years ago Syndi woke up experiencing major health changes and unable to feel her arms. Soon after, she experienced multiple collapsed vertebrae in her neck requiring most of her neck to be fused and a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia quickly followed. She fought and fought with her doctors to test for something called Sjogren’s Syndrome and soon after having the biopsy done, learned she not only had Sjogren’s Syndrome but it was stage 4. Sjogren’s Syndrome is an autoimmune disease where your own immune system attacks parts of your body by mistake. Soon after learning of her new diagnosis she started to feel sick and pass out. After testing, she was diagnosed with POTS, a condition that affects blood flow and circulation throughout the body and causes issues with low blood pressure. Symptoms are relieved by sitting or lying back down. Because of this, Syndi spends most of her days needing to sit or lie down to keep symptoms of her POTS manageable. In September Syndi passed out and broke her leg from the fall. In November after 11 days in the hospital, she found out that she has a staph infection in her spinal column requiring Vancomycin, a HEAVY antibiotic round the clock to help kill the bacteria. Once cleared from the infection she will need surgery to fuse her L1-L4 vertebrae in her back due to crumbling bones and needing to be stabilized. Syndi currently sees an Occupational Therapist and Physical therapist as well as uses a walker to help with mobility. 

As her health deteriorates, Syndi requires help to safely move around her own home, sometimes requiring help to use the restroom, yet she always finds the strength and means to put aside her own health issues, and chronic pain, to take care of her husband and 3 children and continue to head Utah Kids Foundation. 

Syndi has focused on helping other parents and families throughout the state, that her own finances have taken the hit. Currently she and her husband Tom, stand at risk of losing their home. If that happens, her youngest daughter Isabella, will have to be placed in a care home because they will lose their custom built home, that centers around caring for Izzy and her needs. Currently they need close to $11,000 as quickly as possible. If you can donate please do so, as you will not find a woman more deserving. If you are unable to donate, please share this on Facebook, share the link on Instagram and Twitter and get the word out there. I truly don’t believe that Utah has a better advocate for the special needs community than Syndi Knowlton. 

If we receive more than $11,0000 the rest of the money will help Syndi pay for new teeth as she's lost most of hers to Sjogren's syndrome.