We're writing this in hopes to help support Kara and her family during this difficult time.

As many of you know, or may not know, Kara has recently been diagnosed with Grade IV brain cancer called Medulloblastoma. It started with some minor symptoms such as headaches and vertigo, then turned into more severe conditions such as being almost completely unable to stand up or remain upright and throwing up consistently throughout the day. Upon talking to her doctor, we were sent for a CT scan which revealed an almost 5cm tumor in her cerebellum. This was causing the ventricles in her brain to be blocked, resulting in swelling, which was what brought on so many of the symptoms we were seeing. The great staff at Cox Springfield recommended she be sent immediately up to Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, where the next day she underwent surgery to remove the tumor. During this time, Kara had to take a leave from work due to the obvious conditions moving forward and the recovery ahead.

A small time recovering in the hospital, having her regain walking functions and coordination, and she was sent home. A long and anxious time occurred when waiting for her results to come in, so in the meantime, we spent time researching the best hospitals and what we could do for her. That led us on a trip to MD Anderson in Houston to confer with specialists there, which helped clarify some things and let us know we're in great hands.

A few weeks later, we finally got the results in, and while hopes and prayers were plentiful, unfortunately, it turned out to be an aggressive cancer. Shortly after, Kara started her radiation treatment, and it was a relief to start the path to recovery. The doctors also suspected around this time that the cancer had metastasized into her spinal column. This was later confirmed with MRIs, but the doctors still remained confident in the treatment plan. Kara did unfortunately have to take an indefinite leave from work because of the unknown conditions surrounding her return.

She has recently finished radiation and is recovering well. The current plan for following treatment is a six-month treatment of chemotherapy.

As many of you reading this will understand from personal experience, medical bouts such as this, place great stress and anxiety in the lives of the person affected and loved ones supporting them. Unfortunately, one of those hurdles is finances. In no way do we expect any financial help, but anything generously donated will go solely to helping support Kara. For those of you that know Kara, you'll know she's a bit quiet, but one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet and an amazing person to have in your life. She's smart, funny, and a gentle, loving person. It's our hope in writing this that we can relieve the stress of the situation on this end so Kara can get back to being that sweet, loving person we all know.