A few weeks ago, Emily had what doctors are telling us was a misfire in her brain that left her suddenly paralyzed from the waist down. Before going to the ER on the 16th of February, she had a constant migraine and pressure pain in the back of head and neck for 9 days along with full body pain and was experiencing short episodes of losing function of her body and the only way she could explain it was it felt like her body was turning into concrete.

About an hour or so after being in the ER on the 16th she lost function in her upper body arms and hands and became paralyzed from the waist down. She remained in the hospital for 2 weeks 2/16-3/2. Doctors have explained that the signals from her brain are not reaching her body and the disconnect is causing the paralysis. In addition to the paralysis, Emily is currently experiencing severe headaches, she has no sensory feeling from the neck down—she cannot feel touch or temperature. The only sensation she experiences is intense, full-body nerve pain. She also struggles with limited, inconsistent use of her upper body. Doctors have explained that recovery will require intensive physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), and neurological rehabilitation. She is currently waiting to be seen by a team of doctors at Duke University as well that can give us more answers. The road ahead will be long and difficult. At this time, there is no clear timeline for how long it may take to retrain her brain and body so she can regain function.

As you can imagine, this is incredibly devastating and frightening for Emily and her family. The financial burden of medical care, travel for specialist appointments, therapy, and everyday living expenses is quickly adding up. Despite everything she is facing, Emily continues to fight every single day with determination and strength. She is doing everything she can to get back to the life she had before this happened—but she cannot do it alone.

We are asking for any support you can give—whether that’s a donation, sharing this fundraiser, or keeping Emily in your thoughts and prayers. Every bit of help will go toward her medical care, therapy, travel to specialists, and basic living expenses while she focuses on healing. Thank you all for helping Emily during this incredibly difficult time.