Dear Friends and Family,

Unfortunately, I must share some devastating news with you all. After a few months of dealing with symptoms, doctor visits, hospital stays, testing, and a lot of hoping and praying, my beautiful, amazing mother, Sharla, was diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, a type of prion disease. This disease causes proteins in the brain to misfold. As the misfolded proteins continue to multiply and spread across the brain, they cause damage which leads to dementia-like symptoms, loss of cognitive function, loss of mobility, and so on. There is no treatment available. There is no cure. Victims of this disease decline rapidly and pass away within months after diagnosis.

Mom started off feeling extremely fatigued, had blurry vision, and generally just felt "off" earlier this summer. By July, she was experiencing confusion and forgetting what she was doing in the moment or not being able to follow through with tasks. She was no longer able to work or drive. Then she became a little wobbly and needed a cane to keep her steady. The cane was soon replaced with a walker. Now her mobility has declined so much that she needs a wheelchair and relies on assistance for all of her daily tasks and needs. The good news is that she is still able to communicate and talk with us, smile, and laugh. All we can do now is make sure she is comfortable and enjoy the time we have left with her.

As life often is, this seems so cruel and unfair. At only 64 years old, she was a year away from retirement and looking forward to living life, traveling, and enjoying time spent with her friends, family, and especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

We have already had an outpouring of love and support from so many of you, and we are so grateful to everyone. However, as you can imagine, this sudden and shocking situation has created a financial burden for Mom and our family. We are asking for monetary contributions to help pay for the costs of ongoing medical expenses as well as future funeral expenses. Any contributions, as well as your continued love and support, are much appreciated during this extremely difficult and challenging time. Mom is so lucky to have so many wonderful people in her life who love her! ❤️