Support Kyra's Life-Saving Surgery and Recovery

My name is Laurie Goslin. My daughter, Kyra, has been fighting for over a decade to get a doctor to help her find a reason she has been so sick for so long. She has been seen by scores of doctors, undergone multitudes of tests and scans, but instead of finding answers she has been repeatedly patronized and dismissed. As any parent knows, there is no pain like having to watch your child suffer knowing there is nothing you can do to make it better. I would move mountains to protect my child but found only confusion and frustration in our never ending search for answers. It felt as though I could do nothing but watch my daughter waste away. Doctor after doctor, the constant exasperation and now the trauma this endless searching has caused, seeing my daughter struggling to stay in the fight despite the fact that she is getting weaker and weaker as the days and months pass is unbearable. But I bear it, I stuff my grief, my pain and my anger down deep and stand with my brave daughter.

Over a year ago she received several diagnoses, one being SMAS (Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome). SMAS is a rare condition where the duodenum (intestines) is compressed by the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery. This compression causes an inability to digest food that leads to extreme weight loss and malnutrition. This is where we are now. She has lost too much weight and is now malnourished. She is growing steadily weaker. Surgical intervention is now the only answer and vital to saving her.

Recently though we have had a breakthrough and a reason to hope! She has found an excellent surgeon who, after diligently studying her case, will perform surgery on July 26th.

I am so proud and in awe of my daughter, she is an amazing woman who moves through this world with grace and compassion. I am so thankful for the surgeon who will give my daughter her life back. And I am so grateful to all of you for your time, your prayers and your support. This very hopeful mama thanks you all.

But no one can say it better than my own daughter, so in her words~

Hi Everyone,

My health has been difficult for a long time, with this last year being the worst and most difficult it’s ever been. It takes a lot for me to break down and make one of these, but I think the time has officially come for me to ask for help.

The Short:

I’ve been struggling to get a diagnosis for over a decade. Towards the end 2023, I ended up with a plethora of them, with a majority being rare. Because of their rare designation, finding treatment has been incredibly difficult, allowing my health to rapidly deteriorate as my conditions worsen. As a result, I’ve been struggling to keep up with medical and living expenses. One of my surgeries is coming up on 7/26, and I’m not sure how to continue to support us while out of work for recovery. While I will be applying for temporary disability, this will only reimburse a portion of my income, and all of my PTO has unfortunately already been used on the countless appointments I regularly have. Thus, I humbly ask if you can spare a share or a dollar.

The Long:

I have been to countless doctors and dismissed by most of them over the last ten years. I finally started finding the right doctors to take me seriously in 2023, and in this last year, I have been diagnosed with multiple different rare, chronic and debilitating illnesses. Due to the delayed diagnoses and continued struggle with the medical system, my health has seriously and rapidly declined. I now find myself struggling with how to maintain rent and bills while also navigating the countless doctor’s appointments and planning for the future surgeries I will need.

Some of these syndromes could likely require me to travel out of state in order to receive adequate care, which I have had to put off due to the constantly increasing expenses already present.

Luckily, I was able to find local surgeons to help address Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome, (a thought to be rare condition that causes the third part of the duodenum to become compressed between the abdominal aorta and the superior mesenteric artery. They will do the SMAS surgery first, in hopes that I will be able to gain some weight and before doing an endometriosis excision.

I will be getting a laparoscopic procedure called a Roux-En-Y with a Duodenjejunostomy. This will be on 7/26/24, the first surgery to hopefully set me on the path towards getting my life back.

The recovery, however, will keep me out of work for some time with no PTO saved up due to all these appointments, follow ups and tests. Trying to juggle medical expenses on top of the day to day living expenses has unfortunately started to feel just about impossible on my own, and now with being out of work I have run out of options. So… anything anyone can donate at all is appreciated. If you can’t donate but can spare a share, that is just as appreciated!

As my health improves, I hope to include information on each of these diagnoses so this can hopefully also be used to spread some awareness. These are so scary and they go ignored for far too long, resulting in so many other serious issues. The lack of urgency and awareness surrounding these conditions has resulted in people dying. Something has to change…

My Diagnoses in the order I got them:

-Diagnosed in 2020, 6 years after starting the hunt for answers-

• GERD

• Gastroparesis

• Pelvic Congestion Syndrome

-Diagnosed in 2023, 9 years after starting the hunt for answers:

• Nutcracker Syndrome

• May-Thurner Syndrome

• Posterior Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

• Orthostatic Hypotension

• Hiatal Hernia

• Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome

• Endometriosis

• Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

-Suspected but not yet confirmed or ruled out, 10+ years after starting the hunt for answers-

• Mast Cell Activation Syndrome

• Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

• Popliteal Artery Entrapment Syndrome

• Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (been rediagnosed and undiagnosed multiple times…)