Hello, my name is Carlos, and I’m writing on behalf of my wife, Jennifer. She is a U.S. Army veteran, a former pilot-in-training, a mother of two, and the strongest person I have ever known.

For most of her life, Jennifer has been the one helping others.

She served her country with pride.

She worked hard, pushed through long days, and never complained, even when she was exhausted or in pain. When she wasn’t serving, she was dreaming of becoming a pilot.

Flying wasn’t just a job to her it was her calling. She trained with discipline, passion, and determination. She earned the respect of every instructor who watched her fly. She belonged in the sky. But everything changed suddenly and devastatingly.

Her Medical Battle

Jennifer’s health began declining slowly at first fatigue, migraines, dizziness, joint pain, weakness. Doctors dismissed her symptoms, saying she was:

“Too young to be this sick.”

“Probably just stressed.”

“Fine, because she looked fine.”

But she wasn’t fine.

After years of searching, specialist referrals, emergency visits, and painful medical uncertainty, we finally learned what was happening.

Jennifer has multiple rare and life-altering genetic and neurological conditions, including:

Cervical Cranio-Cervical Instability (CCI)

Atlanto-Axial Instability (AAI)

Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS)

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)

Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID)

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension

Dysautonomia / POTS

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / ME

CSF pressure abnormalities

and several vascular and neurological complications.

These are progressive, debilitating, and rare conditions requiring specialized surgical intervention. Only a handful of surgeons in the world perform the procedure she needs.

Without surgery, she faces worsening neurological damage, mobility loss, and long-term disability.

The Personal Toll

Jennifer was once active she used to go hiking, flying, laughing, exploring.

Now there are days she struggles to walk to the bathroom, stand without wobbling, or hold her head upright due to instability in her spine.

There are days she cries, not out of weakness, but out of grief for the life she once had and the future she’s fighting to keep.

And through all of it, she keeps fighting.

Our Family Situation

We have two children — both showing signs of similar connective tissue disease. Between medical testing, travel, specialist appointments, treatments, and ongoing care, the financial strain has become overwhelming.

There are no vacations.

No luxuries.

No extra spending.

Every dollar goes to survival, medication, treatment, and hope.

Insurance will not fully cover this surgery because it is considered specialized and out-of-network. Travel, lodging, pre-op scans, post-op rehab, mobility support, and immune therapy are all expenses we must cover on our own.

We have used savings, tapped every option, and stretched every resource we have.

But we’ve reached a point where we can’t do this alone.

Why We’re Asking for Help

We are asking because this surgery is not optional, it is life saving.

We are asking because Jennifer deserves:

A life without constant pain

The ability to walk without collapsing

The chance to watch our children grow

The hope of a future that isn’t defined by illness. The dignity of finally being believed and treated, and maybe one day, the dream of flying again.

How You Can Help

Every donation, no matter the amount, gets us closer to the surgery that could give Jennifer her life back. If you are unable to donate, please share her story. Awareness saves lives especially for rare diseases like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, CCI, AAI, POTS, and CVID.

Your support means:

A mother can hold her children without pain

A veteran can finally receive the care she deserves. A family can breathe again. This journey has inspired Jennifer to help others in her condition. She has vowed that when she recovers, she will devote her time and resources to those in need of help with critical chronic life-threatening diseases, so that they won’t have to navigate the medical system alone.

From the bottom of our hearts

Thank you for believing in her.

Thank you for standing with her.

Thank you for helping us fight for her