On Tuesday, March 17th, my sister Emily had a stroke. She was taken by ambulance to the Mayo Clinic and admitted to the neuro ICU. It was completely unexpected and they are still trying to determine exactly what caused it, but it is clear that she will have significant costs from her emergency care and hospitalization. Furthermore, she will need intensive rehab once she is discharged home, and at this time will not be able to return to work for the remainder of the school year.

For those who don't personally know her, Emily is a beloved daughter, sister, aunt, and friend to many who is passionate about her work as a middle school English teacher. She works tirelessly to help kids learn how to make sense of the world around them, and expand their worlds through literature. She is quick to laugh or have a quippy response. She is kind, has formidable culinary skills and a beautiful singing voice.

While her stroke has thankfully not impacted her physical movement, it has significantly impacted her language and vision - specifically, her ability to see clearly, read, process, and recall information. As an English teacher and avid reader, these impacts are incredibly devastating both personally and professionally. She needs frequent breaks as her brain relearns these skills and gets fatigued quite quickly. We are hoping the outpatient therapy she will be starting can help her recover function in these areas. Her spoken language has been much less affected, which is a huge blessing. If you were to speak to her, you might not even be able to tell she had a stroke other than the fact that she grows tired and requires breaks.

We are asking for your support for Emily as she recovers from this terrible event. As a teacher, it will be difficult for her to cover such large and unexpected medical costs, especially while she is unable to work. Your support will be a huge help to alleviating the stress of this financial burden so Emily can get the help she needs and focus on her recovery. Any amount you feel able to share is tremendously appreciated. We are also grateful for any encouragement, prayers, and healing thoughts sent her way to fortify her in this challenging time!

With love and gratitude,

Mandee (Emily's sister)