Meredith is a 41-year-old and currently in the hospital after suffering a brain-stem stroke.
At just 41 years old, this is not something that should happen.
In the beginning, she couldn't move her body at all.
Today, she is fighting to recover, but the entire left side of her body remains significantly affected. Every day is now physical therapy, constant pain, and relearning how to do the most basic things.
Meredith is still in the hospital. When Meredith is discharged, she will not be able to return to her Chicago apartment. Her building has a lot of stairs and no elevator, making it unsafe and impossible for her in her current condition.
Instead, she will move in with her parents who will care for her full time as she begins what could be months of recovery.
While she focuses on healing and performing the most simple tasks such as walking or even being able to make a fist, her life does not pause.
This stroke did not come out of nowhere. Meredith has lived with an autoimmune disease since she was just 13 years old after being misdiagnosed. She has Lupus and Sjögren's syndrome. These cause conditions where the immune system attacks the body and can cause serious complications over time.
What many people do not realize is that autoimmune diseases are often invisible.
People suffer silently.
You can look completely fine on the outside while your body is fighting something much more serious underneath. This is especially true for women, who are too often dismissed until something severe happens.
Before her stroke, Meredith pushed through everything.
You would never know what she was dealing with. She showed up for others, advocated for autoimmune awareness, and made sure other women felt heard and supported in their health journeys.
She spent her life being there for others.
Now everything has changed.
Meredith is now in the fight of her life, working every single day to regain movement, independence, and a future that was taken from her overnight.
Progress is slow. It is exhausting. And it is uncertain.
SHE IS NOT ALONE!
Her best friend Brittany flew in immediately to be by her side. Her parents, Pam and Chuck, are stepping in to care for her full time. There is a community of people who love her are standing behind her.
This is serious.
A 41-year-old woman should not be relearning how to move her body or worrying about how she will afford to survive while she recovers.
The road ahead is long.
If you are able to donate or share, it would mean everything! This will help with her ongoing medical needs (rent, hospital bills, physical and occupational therapy, at-home needs such as a wheelchair, walker, cane, and any rehab equipment, and medications).
I am going to continue to post updates on her progress as she has come a long way already.
Thank you so much for your help as this will put her at ease in her recovery process.