HELP John & Marie Collias SAVE their daughter Katlyn’s LIFE!

Katlyn Brooks (Collias) 27-year-old daughter to John and Marie Collias, mother of two (Hendrix, age 7, and Capri), wife, and my niece, has been battling a rare condition that has taken its toll on her body with a vengeance over the past two years.

Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, the silent condition that only she can hear. A rare connective tissue disorder that causes damage to every part of her body, down to the tips of her nerves.

Cranio-Cervical Atlanto Axial Instability has left her in a critical and sinister position where she must undergo a life-saving operation to prevent her neck from collapsing and crushing her spinal cord, jugular veins, and nervous system, all of which are an immediate death sentence. Due to her condition going misdiagnosed for 20+ years, Katlyn’s life now has a price tag on it as well as an unknown expiration date.

A HUGE UPDATE!!!!!!:

Katlyn received a call on CHRISTMAS EVE (you can’t say that’s not a sign), to have a consultation with a neurosurgeon in AMERICA!

The NEW Neurosurgeon whom is well versed in Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and performs the specific surgery she NEEDS daily is READY to take on her case and will perform the surgery this coming February! She will be undergoing an Occiput-Cervical 2 Posterior Crainocervical Fusion.

While she was confident in her neurosurgeons decision making in Spain, it was greatly impacting her mental health negatively by leaving her family and child behind for almost two months which in turn would put her at risk for slower healing.

The surgical process is NOT to be taken lightly. She will be losing certain bodily functions and gaining some at the same time. Sadly, she will lose 50% of mobility in her neck, which she is struggling with as she is worried how this will affect her future jobs in the world of cosmetology and her attention to fine detail abilities. But this could also cause a positive significant shift in her anxiety that was actually a misdiagnosis, relieve her gastroparesis, and let her autonomic system heal. The compression on her vagus nerve has been misfiring causing all of these conditions.

While she is greatly appreciative that she is having the surgery in her home country and no longer in Spain, the cost has increased significantly (this was to be expected, but she needs appropriate care and to be in a sterilized environment with her central line and English speaking staff, although she did attempt to learn Spanish in a short time!).

She will no longer require flights (this is much better for her safety as there is no worry about trapped air and pressure from the cabin), but will still have to stay in the same state as her neurosurgeon for about a month. Hospitalization is looking like it will be 3+ days but will more than likely be longer as she cannot tolerate medication by mouth due to her gastroparesis and malabsorption. She will be in a nice hotel near the hospital after discharge for two weeks or longer to have weekly post operative care.

While the costs have increased, this decision will involve a significant increase in her ability to heal, communicate needs, and know she is in a sterile environment. She will also be able to continue with her TPN (she receives all nutrition, medication and fluids through a central line in her heart).

Currently her expenses are hospital fees, surgeon fees, anesthesia fees hotel accommodations, travel costs, post operative treatment, medication management, prescription fees, and emergency medical care or any other surgical procedures that may show while she is under, etc. After fighting back and forth with her insurance company, and even switching plans, they are still refusing to cover anything that is out of network.

A typical adult woman has a Craniocervical Junction measurement (CXA) of 12mm or more. Katlyn is down to 2mm. This is how far her skull is away from her cervical spine. One wrong move and she is internally decapitated.

We are still FAR from what is needed to ensure she receives the necessary treatment.

Updates WILL be continued, so make sure to check the page and follow Katlyn on her life changing journey. We appreciate EACH and EVERY one of you who have donated, shared, helped with the silent auction that is coming up soon and the endless amount of love and encouragement.

Please consider taking the time to donate to save a young life. If you cannot contribute financially, share the post and show your support.

We are limited on time and financial resources, but with Jesus on our side, we shall help Katlyn overcome.

Thank you for reading her story. As the surgical process begins, we will share updates and photos.