Main fundraiser photo

Team Karri - Fighting ALS Together

Donation protected
In November 2017 Karri was walking her dog Anza in the Boise foothills when she stumbled and fell for no apparent reason. Over the next few months her gait became progressively worse, to the point her friends and colleagues began asking if she had hurt her leg. Initially her doctors thought it was a low back issue, but two neurosurgeons quickly ruled that out. After a few more months of many tests but no clear answers, Karri and her husband Jeff went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. On August 9, 2018, the Mayo physicians confirmed their worst fears - Karri has ALS.

Many of you who know and love Karri have asked what you can do to help in light of this horrible diagnosis. No matter how much we want to, we know that nothing we can do will cure this devastating condition for her. A few of us from different areas of Karri’s life have put our heads together to come up with our wish list for her - ways that we can make a real difference in her quality and enjoyment of life for the time that we still have her.

We are sending Karri, Jeff, and the kids on a vacation together. As a family of five, the Townsends have taken many camping, backpacking, and road trips to visit beloved family and friends, but they have never taken a vacation just for themselves. Even before her symptoms began Karri worried that with her kids growing so fast that they wouldn’t be able to do this together, but now with her diagnosis we know that she and Jeff would never justify this expense themselves. We want to give them this time together and do it sooner rather than later, while she is still able to walk and enjoy the experience. We don't know the timeline of this disease for Karri, but we know she feels better and is more independent now than she will be in the months to come. The time to travel is now.

Karri's house is mostly on one level, but it has one step up when entering from both the garage and the front door. It also has a two-step sunken living room that will require a ramp. In the months to come Karri will need modifications to navigate the level changes, grab bars, and other adaptations as her mobility and accessibility needs change. Jeff is very handy, and with the help of some family and friends we believe he will be able to make the changes himself. We want to make sure he has all the necessary materials and tools to make their home safe and accessible for Karri.

With ALS comes the need for assistive and adaptive devices. Karri is already using a leg brace and cane. As time goes on she will need a wheelchair and assistive devices for communication, breathing, and nutrition. It appears that her insurance will cover some of this as things progress, but we know there will be many, many expenses in the days to come. Contributions to this ongoing fund will be put toward these eventual necessities. The ability to have options for her care can directly impact both the quality and quantity of her life.

Karri describes ALS as a thief that will eventually steal the very breath from her body. We hate this thief as much as we love Karri. We are powerless to stop it, but we have the power to fight it.
Donate

Donations 

  • Monica Couch
    • $1,000 
    • 4 yrs
Donate

Fundraising team: Team Karri - Fighting ALS Together (6)

Colleen Matthews
Organizer
Raised $605 from 10 donations
Meridian, ID
Karri Townsend
Beneficiary
Amy Neumann
Team member
Raised $6,400 from 4 donations
Kelli Ketlinski
Team member
Raised $4,815 from 19 donations
Jen Brazee
Team member
Raised $650 from 8 donations
Monica Couch
Team member
Raised $345 from 4 donations

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.