Stand with Michelle. So Michelle can STAND with us

Michelle has been my best friend since first grade. For three and a half decades, she has proven to be the most selfless human I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Still, the last 15 years have been agonizing. To say that she's been through a lot would be, not only a massive understatement, but also a disservice to her unyielding perseverance. This is her journey.

In 2010, at the age of 27, she began having very intense spinal headaches paired with blurred vision and hemi-facial seizures. Those were the first clues that something was terribly wrong. The “central nervous” symptoms eventually faded, but she began to lose feeling in her left leg. This led to balance issues, which caused her to break her left ankle. She went from crutches to a walker, but was unable to rehabilitate due to increasing numbness in her left leg and ankle.

With the exception of the most wicked nerve pain imaginable, she has no feeling from the left knee down and is mostly numb in the lower right leg. Although symptoms present primarily on the left side (93% nerve damage), she also has severe (72%) nerve damage in the right leg. She is completely unable to move the left ankle and, due to fluid retention caused by nerve damage; her calves and ankles are often swollen to the size of thighs, which only allows slight movement in her right ankle. In 2012, she became wheelchair ridden and was misdiagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, leading to 15 years of painstaking confusion and improper treatment.

A different neurologist and THREE spinal taps— with hospital visits requiring 8 hours of laying flat on her back every time in order to mitigate post-puncture headaches— later, it is now decided that she does not have MS. Instead, she carries a diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy with a neurogenic bladder. Several minor and one major life altering (iliostomy) surgery later, the bladder issues are under control. However, the nerve pain is an insatiable ten headed demon, always lurking below the surface, waiting to devour her.

Beyond logic and by faith alone she remains ever-positive as she is relentlessly attacked by her own body. She spends most of every day pain-trapped in one chair or another, banging a heel that she can’t otherwise feel in the traditional sense. For 15 years, no doctor has been able to explain, diagnose, or offer any form of relief. Her quality of life is terrible, yet she remains faithful and optimistic in her journey.

Now there is finally hope that she could be able to live a normal life.

Patients typically start to feel relief within in 8-12 weeks, with 18 months being the longest expected recovery time. The cost is $10,390. Her insurance will pay $1440, leaving an out-of-pocket expense of $8950, with treatment to include the following.

* A MINIMUM OF 8 clinic sessions, featuring laser treatments, seated & standing vibration balance therapies, and joint manipulations to target nerve damage

* Nanoflex injections to enhance and expedite nerve regeneration and myelin regrowth

* Home protocols to include two prescription-only medical devices, one for infra-red light therapy and the other for nerve stimulation & rebuilding

* Education and nutritional support to ease nerve pain, restore the body to an alkaline state, and boost circulation and oxygen delivery

For 35 years, Michelle has been my best friend, as well as a beacon of selflessness and hope. Now, after 15 years of unimaginable pain and perseverance, we finally have a chance to give her the life she deserves—a life where she’s not trapped by nerve pain, where she can stand tall again, and where her unyielding spirit can soar free. This $9,950 is more than a number; it’s the key to unlocking her freedom through cutting-edge treatments that could rebuild what’s been taken from her. Every dollar you give brings her closer to that first step—literally and figuratively—toward a pain-free future. If we’re fortunate enough to raise beyond this goal, additional funds will go toward specialized mobility aids or home modifications to ease her daily life, and perhaps a small comfort fund for Michelle to enjoy a well-deserved day of joy—something she’s had very little chance to do. If you can’t donate, please share Michelle’s story with everyone you know. Your voice could be the ripple that turns into a wave of support! Together, let’s show her that her faith and optimism aren’t in vain—that we’re here to lift her up, just as she’s always done for others. Thank you, from the depths of my heart, for being part of her journey to healing!