For those who don’t know of Jackie’s situation, about two years ago out of no where she started having weird symptoms at work and decided to go to the ER. After being diagnosed with Chiari malformation type one (and recently that was changed to chiari malformation type 2) and seeing every doctor from neurologists to a rheumatologist, ENT specialist, physiotherapist, vestibular physical therapist, regular physical therapists, massage therapist, regular primary doctors and a neurosurgeon in Lebanon who all essentially told her that her symptoms didn’t matter and there was nothing they could do for her. She finally said enough is enough and sought out an actual Chiari center with doctors who specialized in Chiari and understood what it is and how it affects people. She saw a specialist at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore who for the first time in 2 years confirmed that Chiari was causing a lot of her symptoms and agreed that her quality of life was severely suffering and that surgery was the right option. While she was hoping for this visit to end in surgery being an option, everything is now happening very quickly and there hasn’t been much time to prepare financially. She has received a donation for the weeklong stay for her family while she has surgery but there is still other out of pocket expenses with traveling to and from, food, deductibles, medications, etc. that they really haven’t had time to prepare for. The past two years have been an extreme financial struggle for her and her husband Seth, as no one ever really plans on being chronically ill especially at such a young age. Many friends of theirs have suggested to create a go fund me to help with expenses while she is getting surgery and during recovery. Any and all help is greatly appreciated ❤️ Below is more information about Chiari for those who don’t know exactly what it is.

Chiari malformation is, it is a structural abnormality in your skull that causes part of your brain to move into your spinal canal. It causes headaches and difficulty with balance and coordination, as it affects your cerebellum. It can affect people in all different ways and you can develop symptoms at any time throughout your life.

It also causes these symptoms that Jackie struggles with day to day.

• Headaches or a throbbing, stabbing or sharp pain in the back of your head, neck or shoulders that gets worse after coughing or sneezing.

• Difficulty with balance and coordination.

• Dizziness and vertigo.

• Weak muscles.

• Numbness in your arms or legs or a burning sensation in your fingers, toes or lips.

• Feeling like your heart misses a beat/POTS (palpitations).

• Difficulty falling asleep (insomnia) and feeling tired all the time (chronic fatigue).

• Vision changes like double vision, blurred vision, abnormal eye movements or light sensitivity.

• Hearing problems like a ringing sound (tinnitus) or hearing loss.

• Difficulty swallowing (drooling, vomiting or gagging), eating, drinking or speaking.

• Curved spine (scoliosis).

• Loss of bladder or bowel control.

• Fainting.

• Pressure and tingling in head or behind eyes.

• Tremors/spasms

All funds raised through this will help with medications, bills, unexpected costs, food, gas, and more! Anything is great appreciated!