My longtime friend and mentor, Kelley, has influenced my life in more ways than I can count. I didn’t really know the meaning of generosity until she came into my life 10+ years ago, and I’m forever grateful for the gift of our friendship. But, every superhero has their weakness... and Kelley and her husband Mark have had an onslaught of major financial hurdles lately, culminating in a surreal ordeal with their 16 year-old daughter, Taylor, who was bitten by a rattlesnake on May 2nd. 

Taylor was rushed to the hospital after being bitten by a rattlesnake while hiking. While doctors administered a lifesaving dose of anti-venom, Taylor’s ‘envenomation' was severe. Now, 12 long days, 2 ambulance rides, 3 hospitalizations in the pediatric ICU, and 14 vials of anti-venom later, Taylor is still combatting not only the venom itself, but an allergic reaction to the venom called ‘serum sickness’ that causes hives and difficulty breathing. She is being monitored extremely closely for her allergic reaction to the venom as well as recurrent coagulopathy (significantly impaired clotting of her blood) and thrombocytopenia (low blood platelets), either one of which could lead to life-threatening internal bleeding. Venom is a very scary, very unpredictable substance, and can avoid neutralization by antivenom by residing in “depot sites” near the bite site, releasing venom for up to 2-3 weeks after the date of the bite. 

Unfortunately, on top of the stress and concern for Taylor’s well-being, Kelley and Mark are now bracing for a massive medical bill because the life-saving antivenom costs start at $8,000 per vial and can go up to $40,000 per vial, and Taylor has had 14 vials to date! The cost of this one snakebite will hundreds of thousands of dollars. Insurance considers much of her care to be ‘out of network’, which means that a big chunk of the total will fall to them as the financial guarantors. 
If you have had the pleasure of knowing Kelley, you know that she is one of the kindest, most hard-working, and generous people you will ever meet. An absolute badass of a businesswoman, she is also a mother to 6 children (yes SIX!!!) ranging from ages 18 to 9.  Both Kelley and Mark juggle extremely demanding careers while raising their young and very active family, but you’d never know it. The way they SHOW UP for their friends has always been with unwavering enthusiasm and generosity, which is why I’m hoping to do the same for them with this GoFundMe on their behalf. 

Please consider a small donation to help alleviate some of the financial stress for this incredible family.  In addition to their medical bills, they have already been hit hard financially by COVID-19 (a significant financial hardship for them and many others); any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated!