Supporting Cindy
Hi, my name is Randy, and I'm fundraising for my sister, Cindy.
On July 16th, Cindy fell in her apartment and couldn’t stand back up. She had been suffering, over the past 4 months, from tremendous back pain and other increasingly difficult symptoms that impacted her daily life. An ambulance ride to the ER and a significant number of tests later, Cindy was diagnosed with vertebral osteomyelitis. In simpler words, a staph infection had entered her bloodstream and attacked the vertebrae and discs in her back, eating away and destroying them. Emergency neurosurgery to remove as much of the infection as possible, and prevent it from reaching her heart, saved Cindy’s life.
Immediately after surgery, Cindy was temporarily paralyzed. She is beginning the process of learning to walk again and can stand for brief periods of time with the use of a walker. Time will tell how much of her ability to walk she will be able to recover. This will take a significant amount of therapy and potentially more surgery. She is being treated with IV antibiotics for several weeks in an effort to eradicate this serious infection. We remain hopeful.
If you don’t know Cindy well, let me tell you a little bit about her: she just celebrated her 58th birthday. Her lovely daughter Emily is getting married in November to a really great guy, Dave. Cindy and Emily are the best of friends and even spent several months together as “roommates” after Emily graduated from college.
Family is foundational in Cindy’s life -- she is a devoted daughter to her parents Mick and Lois, and an incredible sister to yours truly, her brother Randy. She also connects with our large extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins regularly, making several trips a year up North to visit.
Work is another important facet of Cindy’s life. She is recently single and started a new chapter by graduating with her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy degree in 2019. She’s been working as a therapist in private practice ever since, and considers it the career of her dreams.
This is all very sudden, and overwhelming. It is a true life-changing event. The medical bills are already enormous – and growing. Cindy’s modest medical insurance will not bear the scope of the continuing treatment and physical therapy. Additionally, she will not be able to work during her weeks of treatment. That means no income. While we pray that she will recover fully, it is unclear when or if she can go back to work.
Cindy is a loving, caring neighbor, friend, and family member. Please consider helping her – with your good thoughts for her healing, and with your financial support. Thank you.
