Supporting Carolyn Hayes in her healing journey ❤

On September 18th, Carolyn was taken to the emergency room with stomach issues, back pain and numbing of her toes. Things quickly progressed while the doctors struggled to figure out what was going on. Days in, Carolyn lost all feeling and movement from her waist down. She was admitted to the hospital and remains in the hospital.

 

After weeks of tests, MRI's, steroid treatments, plasma exchanges, blood draws and possible diagnosis's, they think they know what's going on.

 

Doctors believe a virus attacked her spinal cord, which resulted in spinal cord inflammation. They think she has something called Transverse Myelitis. TM is an inflammation of both sides of one section of the spinal cord. There are between 1 and 8 new cases per million, per year, or approximately 1400 new cases of TM each year.

 

Currently, Carolyn can't get up by herself, walk on her own and her recovery will be long. While there is no cure for TM, those who love her know that if anyone can overcome this, it's Carolyn!

 

For those who don't know, Carolyn worked for years as an Assistant Director at the Peoria County Emergency Management Agency. There, she helped protect thousands of lives and helped both individuals and towns to get insurance and FEMA funds. She's helped build back up multiple communities! Carolyn is someone who would drop everything to help out her family, a stranger, you.

 

Now, we hope to help the helper. If you have ever had a loved one in the hospital you know how incredibly hard these times can be. Physically, emotionally and financially. We would like to come together and help make this long road of recovery a little easier.

 

We will keep you all updated on her progress, you got this Carolyn, we love you!