Help the Guarnero-Sparks Family (Two Teachers)

My name is Christina, and I am starting this fund for my daughter, Caitlin and her family. Caitlin  and her husband are both teachers.  My daughter has always had a loving and selfless heart. She is so deserving of this gift of love. 

Her husband, Dominic, is a six-year special education teacher in Leavenworth, KS.  Caitlin also served as a 3rd-grade teacher in the same district for three years. They chose teaching, not because of the salary, as we all know has never matched all the sacrifices our teachers give to our children.  They decided to teach because they both love it.

In January 2022, Caitlin and Dominic welcomed a charming baby boy, Alexander. Alexander’s birth was difficult, with his doctor admitting him to the NICU for seven days. Seeing their newborn struggle was horrific for them both.  As both a mother at that moment and a first time grandmother, my heart just broke into pieces. Caitlin also had an extended hospital stay due to excessive hemorrhaging during labor and delivery. This left Dominic and Caitlin with an excessive amount of medical bills, which they have negotiated and have been paying.

Caitlin always wanted to pursue a career in  occupational therapy with an emphasis on pediatrics, she applied and  was accepted to a doctoral program at the University of St. Mary during her pregnancy. Caitlin and Dominic debated starting a doctorate with a newborn. They discovered they could receive a full childcare benefit from Kansas’s Hero Relief Program with Dominic’s position as an essential worker and salary.

They constructed their new budget, including the assistance, medical bills, and living expenses and said, “Let’s do this.” Once Caitlin started school, they were given a notice of denial for childcare aid because of a clerical error, and Kansas would not hear their appeal. The young couple cut their losses and started digging into their savings to pay for expenses. Grocery prices began to increase, gas prices began  to increase and rent increased at the start of their new lease. Their savings and hope of Caitlin completing her doctoral degree has dwindled  very quickly. Between daycare, the outstanding medical bills, and the various specialist appointments with high co-pays due to Alexander’s complicated birth, it’s proven to be too much.They both have been working  remotely tutoring,

And template work to earn extra money.  

Though there may be a resounding thought  for Caitlin to drop out, and probably a much easier solution for both of them, Caitlin has never been a quitter. Caitlin has suffered with Anxiety and at times, it has gotten the best of her, but she never gives up. Her  goal is to show her students they can push through anything and achieve their  goals,  even if  odds are stacked against you.  

If she chooses to leave the program,  she will have to reapply for the doctoral program again and be accepted, and restart the entire program with a new cohort in a year. She would lose time, credits, and money. My goal is to clear Caitlin and Alexander’s medical bills, so she can continue in the program and achieve her dream. 

In advance, I truly appreciate any donation, no matter how small. Every penny counts and is appreciated by Caitlin and Dominic, and myself.