Help for the Reynolds Family

* Updated 9-5-2023 **

Hi! My name is Amy Harper, and I am creating this Go Fund Me on behalf of my friends Brian and Tina Reynolds. I have known their family for quite a while, and I have been following Brian’s sickness. For those of you that don’t know, Brian’s sickness started with falling and leg pain back in October/November of 2022. Since then, he has seen multiple specialists to rule out brain tumors, spinal cord compression, and host of other ailments. He has seen multiple specialists and is still currently treating with a neurologist to try to identify the cause.  Along the journey to discover what is actually wrong with him, he’s had spinal issues resulting in neck surgery where 2-3 vertebrae were fused, and knee surgery for a torn ligament. He was hopeful that would resolve the burning sensation in his extremities, but it hasn’t. And even after multiple MRIs, CTs, X-Rays, Lumbar punctures etc, they still have no answers.

Brian went from working 12-hour days as a retail manager to having to walk with a cane.  He does well to get around the house without it, but someone must be always around in case he falls which has become quite often and is very frightening to the family. His memory is very short as he used to remember everything down to the last detail. The number of medicines he is on is ridiculous.  His speech has been greatly affected. The weird part is it turns itself on and off as it pleases. Lupus is negative. MS is still an option, as well as other Autoimmune diseases. ALS and Parkinson’s are starting to be discussed. It’s been a lot for him and his entire family and is taking a huge impact on him mentally. While I've tried to help as much as possible, and even with his family helping, I really think that a group effort would be a blessing for them right now so I am creating this for them because I KNOW this would never be something that they or his family would do themselves. I know that times are hard now just knowing how much he has been through.

Brian has been out of work now since January and was let go from his managers job while out on a short medical leave and as a result has to pay over $500 a month to keep his current health insurance so he has access to his same doctors. They have been relying on the candle shop to support their family of 9 and as anyone in retail knows the summer months are unpredictable. They have depleted their savings and are now relying solely on the store as their only source of income. At this point all they are trying to do is make it to the next appointment where they hope they can find answers. They are literally in survival mode.

As much as the community loves their store, The VII Candle Company, we all know that it takes more than one income to support a family. On top of everything going on with his health, running a store and taking care of a family of 9, finances shouldn’t be a stressor. That’s where my request comes in. I know it would be a huge blessing if we could lighten the load and help with all the additional expenses associated with the 2-3 weekly trips to out-of-town doctor visits and forced closure of the shop. Gas cards, gift cards for places to eat, and money to help lighten the financial burden that sickness brought to this family would all be welcomed.  I am reaching out to y’all to help me help them and take a little bit of stress off their shoulders.

Please donate what you can because every little bit helps.

If you are out and about in town, now would be the best time to shop local and support them through their store. Thank you so very much for loving this family as much as I do. Please continue to pray for Brian’s health and for the rest of his family as they search for answers.