Support Jeanette's battle against Guillain-Barre Syndrome

My name is Tiffany Phillip, and I have created this fundraiser on behalf of my mother, Jeanette Salva.

On June 16th, 2024, Jeanette went to the emergency room for sudden weakness, numbness, and tingling of her hands, arms, legs and feet. She was immediately admitted for further testing and was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) a few days later. She has been in the ICU ever since.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a debilitating autoimmune disorder where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its nerves. This leads to muscle weakness, numbness, and in severe cases like my mother’s- paralysis.

Jeanette was diagnosed with the rarest variant of GBS, known as Acute Motor Sensory Axonal Neuropathy (AMSAN). For my mom, this means facing an uncertain and challenging journey towards recovery, filled with intensive medical treatments, therapies, and rehabilitation.

By June 25th, Jeanette was unable to breathe on her own as a result of the GBS, and she was intubated, requiring mechanical ventilation to breathe. She has since required a feeding tube as well as dialysis for Acute Kidney Injury that she’s facing as a result of her serious illness.

She has received many treatments for the GBS- steroids, IVIG antibodies, and plasmapheresis- but showed poor response to all. The doctors are working towards weaning her off ventilation so that she can be discharged to a Rehabilitation facility. Rehab will provide her with the intense physical therapy that she needs to gain back the abilities needed to perform activities of daily living.

My mother is only 46 years old, with 3 adult children, a 13-year-old son, 2 grand babies, and a fiancé. Prior to this diagnosis, she was working full-time, traveling to New York every few months to see her family, and getting ready to send off her youngest son to high school this year. This unexpected and life changing diagnosis has taken both a physical and mental toll on her.

Despite the many challenges she has faced on her road to recovery, my mom has shown incredible strength and resilience. Every day is a new battle, but she faces it with a determination that inspires everyone around her. If you know my mom, you know that she is a fighter and has no plans to give up on this battle.

Our family has all come together to support my mom during this difficult time. We have been taking turns traveling back and forth from New York to Florida every week for the last 3 months to be there for her and help give her the constant encouragement she needs to continue fighting this battle.

Due to the severity of her condition, Jeanette will be unable to work for the foreseeable future. Since she has already been unable to work for over 12 weeks, her current medical benefits will be coming to an end. We have submitted countless applications on her behalf for other options such as Medicaid and Medicare, but Medicare can take up to a year to be processed and approved, on average. We have been told by the case managers that in this area of Florida, it will be difficult to find any long term acute care centers or rehabilitation centers that will accept Medicaid.

We are reaching out to our friends, family, and the broader community to ask for your support in helping my mom to get the care she needs to recover and regain her independence. Your contribution will go directly towards funding Jeanette’s treatment and recovery, as there are many out of pocket costs. This will give her the best possible chance at a full recovery. Contributions will also go towards her essential living expenses while she is unable to work.

Please consider donating, sharing this fundraiser with your networks, and keeping Jeanette in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you, and God bless you all.