Anyone who knows my sister Peyton will vouch that she is one of the most loving, empathetic, and kind people they know. She anticipates the needs of those around her and always jumps in with exactly what they need. She’s always the first to offer help to friends, family, and anyone in need. On April 15th, Peyton stubbed her toe while gardening, resulting in a small cut under her big toenail. She cleaned the wound right away and, since she was up to date on her vaccines, none of us thought much of it. Ten days later, April 25th, Peyton began experiencing severe jaw pain, muscle stiffness, and back pain. Between April 27 - April 30th, we brought her to her primary care physician, a TMJ specialist and two ERs (Hunterdon Medical and Robert Wood Johnson in New Brunswick). They all discharged and dismissed her as having “anxiety” and suspected TMJ injury. What we didn’t know at the time is that the intensity of the muscle spams she was experiencing did not fit with a TMJ diagnosis. On Saturday, May 2nd, I brought her to my home for continuous monitoring. Her condition had gotten so bad that she had not been able to drink more than 36oz of water in a 72 hour period. She had not had any food. I tried my best to hydrate her but she was having difficulty swallowing. Saturday night will forever be one of the most traumatic experiences of our lives. Her body was fully spasming, stiff as a board. Tetanus toxin creates muscle spasms so powerful they can tear the muscle and break bones. She was in excruciating pain. By May 3rd, Peyton’s condition had become critical. We took her to Morristown Medical at 8 AM where she was finally diagnosed with tetanus. An extremely rare (only 20 cases per year in US) and life threatening disease. She was immediately given TIG and placed in the ICU under heavy sedation and full ventilator support. Tetanus causes intense muscle spasms and nerve damage, and Peyton now faces a long road to recovery. She will need months of intensive outpatient therapy to regain her strength and learn how to walk and move again. Anyone who knows Peyton knows how much she gives to others. She never turns down an opportunity to help, and she truly doesn’t deserve to go through this. We’re asking for your support to help cover her medical bills and the extensive recovery ahead. Any amount you can give will make a difference and help Peyton get back on her feet. Thank you for being there for her during this incredibly difficult time.