Help Emily Heal
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One month ago, my best friend, Emily, woke up to a living nightmare that she never saw coming. On what felt like any other morning, Em rolled herself out of bed to get up for the day. Instead of standing though, her legs collapsed from under her, before they even had a chance to support her body.
Emily was suddenly faced with the reality that her perfectly functioning legs were now inexplicably nothing more than dead weight. She had completely lost the ability to walk, move, or feel them overnight.
Alone and terrified, Em spent an agonizing period of time dragging herself around her room to retrieve her phone and call 911. She hasn't been back in her own bed since.
Emily's first week in the hospital was spent in the ICU where it was determined that she has a very serious and rare syndrome called Rhabdomyolysis.
Rhabdomyolisis is a condition in which muscle tissue breaks down rapidly and releases damaging protein into the bloodstream.
Emily suffered extensive muscle damage in both legs which caused them to stop functioning. Her kidneys also began to fail due to the amount of toxins from the breakdown of muscles they were having to filter. There were a few days of total uncertainty and fear about which direction her fragile condition would take.
Through what's been the most physically and mentally excruciating process of her life, Em has gone through numerous procedures from blood transfusions to painful and invasive tests and treatments.
Emily continues to push through the pain while trying try to stay optimistic despite the significant uncertainties of her future. She is stuck in a hospital bed most of the day and spends many hours alone, worrying about every aspect of what may or may not come; there are no definite answers as to how well her body will heal and how long that healing will take.
Em still cannot walk or stand on her own but made huge strides in the hospital by finally being cleared to move into Fanny Allen residential rehabilitation this week.
This has been a grueling process and it will get harder before it gets easier as she embarks on the next challenge of physical therapy and rehabilitation. It will take a great amount of dedication, focus and endurance for Emily to successfully restore the disintegrated muscle in her legs and learn to walk again.
On top of all of the unknowns surrounding Emily's physical health, she's also carrying the burden of potentially losing everything she has outside of the hospital while she recovers.
Since our high school days, Emily has waited tables in some of the finest and busiest restaurants in Vermont, (and beyond). To say she’s good at what she does is an understatement. She loves being a server and is well known by many establishments and patrons.
Waiting tables at her level of natural ability and high standard of service has provided Em with the security of not having to financially depend on anyone but herself to live a comfortable life.
Her medical team recently informed her that even after the coming months of rehabilitation, the results won’t be significant enough to support her ever returning to waiting tables-her livelihood and what she’s always loved doing.
Having already been without any income for the past month and not being expected to work even a sedentary job in the months to come, Em's bills are piling up and she's depleted her savings to cover whatever she could since everything happened.
There is an urgent and dire necessity to find immediate financial support for her. She needs a home and a life to return to in order to have any chance at all of a successful recovery, and she's at an overwhelming risk of losing that already.
From her rent and house bills, to vet and food costs for her beloved dog, Santa, to insurance and medical expenses, etc,. Em has a lot on her mind to be worried about. On top of that, there may be funds needed to make modifications for her home in order to accommodate her expected limited mobility level.
So much of the focus and energy she needs to give to her physical recovery is being taken away by her anxiety over becoming homeless and falling into a black hole of debt.
Please help Emily channel all of her strength and energy into walking again. On it’s own, it’s such a huge mountain for her to climb, without the added stress of everything else potentially falling apart in the process.
Emily has been the greatest friend in my life for the past 25 years and has the biggest heart of anyone I know. She has sacrificed and gone out of her way many times for many people, including me. I’d love for Em’s generosity to come back around to her, now that she’s in serious need.
If you're able to contribute anything to her support fund, I assure you it will make a difference in Emily's life, whatever the amount. If you can't help financially, just letting Em know that she's loved, valued and capable of overcoming this devastating event would help her so very much in finding the vital hope and strength she needs.
Sharing her story and GoFundMe page would be greatly appreciated as well. However you can show your support and love, Emily will be stronger because of it and have a better chance at walking out of this successfully.
❤️ #HelpEmilyHeal

❤️

Emily was suddenly faced with the reality that her perfectly functioning legs were now inexplicably nothing more than dead weight. She had completely lost the ability to walk, move, or feel them overnight.
Alone and terrified, Em spent an agonizing period of time dragging herself around her room to retrieve her phone and call 911. She hasn't been back in her own bed since.
Emily's first week in the hospital was spent in the ICU where it was determined that she has a very serious and rare syndrome called Rhabdomyolysis.
Rhabdomyolisis is a condition in which muscle tissue breaks down rapidly and releases damaging protein into the bloodstream.
Emily suffered extensive muscle damage in both legs which caused them to stop functioning. Her kidneys also began to fail due to the amount of toxins from the breakdown of muscles they were having to filter. There were a few days of total uncertainty and fear about which direction her fragile condition would take.
Through what's been the most physically and mentally excruciating process of her life, Em has gone through numerous procedures from blood transfusions to painful and invasive tests and treatments.
Emily continues to push through the pain while trying try to stay optimistic despite the significant uncertainties of her future. She is stuck in a hospital bed most of the day and spends many hours alone, worrying about every aspect of what may or may not come; there are no definite answers as to how well her body will heal and how long that healing will take.
Em still cannot walk or stand on her own but made huge strides in the hospital by finally being cleared to move into Fanny Allen residential rehabilitation this week.
This has been a grueling process and it will get harder before it gets easier as she embarks on the next challenge of physical therapy and rehabilitation. It will take a great amount of dedication, focus and endurance for Emily to successfully restore the disintegrated muscle in her legs and learn to walk again.
On top of all of the unknowns surrounding Emily's physical health, she's also carrying the burden of potentially losing everything she has outside of the hospital while she recovers.
Since our high school days, Emily has waited tables in some of the finest and busiest restaurants in Vermont, (and beyond). To say she’s good at what she does is an understatement. She loves being a server and is well known by many establishments and patrons.
Waiting tables at her level of natural ability and high standard of service has provided Em with the security of not having to financially depend on anyone but herself to live a comfortable life.
Her medical team recently informed her that even after the coming months of rehabilitation, the results won’t be significant enough to support her ever returning to waiting tables-her livelihood and what she’s always loved doing.
Having already been without any income for the past month and not being expected to work even a sedentary job in the months to come, Em's bills are piling up and she's depleted her savings to cover whatever she could since everything happened.
There is an urgent and dire necessity to find immediate financial support for her. She needs a home and a life to return to in order to have any chance at all of a successful recovery, and she's at an overwhelming risk of losing that already.
From her rent and house bills, to vet and food costs for her beloved dog, Santa, to insurance and medical expenses, etc,. Em has a lot on her mind to be worried about. On top of that, there may be funds needed to make modifications for her home in order to accommodate her expected limited mobility level.
So much of the focus and energy she needs to give to her physical recovery is being taken away by her anxiety over becoming homeless and falling into a black hole of debt.
Please help Emily channel all of her strength and energy into walking again. On it’s own, it’s such a huge mountain for her to climb, without the added stress of everything else potentially falling apart in the process.
Emily has been the greatest friend in my life for the past 25 years and has the biggest heart of anyone I know. She has sacrificed and gone out of her way many times for many people, including me. I’d love for Em’s generosity to come back around to her, now that she’s in serious need.
If you're able to contribute anything to her support fund, I assure you it will make a difference in Emily's life, whatever the amount. If you can't help financially, just letting Em know that she's loved, valued and capable of overcoming this devastating event would help her so very much in finding the vital hope and strength she needs.
Sharing her story and GoFundMe page would be greatly appreciated as well. However you can show your support and love, Emily will be stronger because of it and have a better chance at walking out of this successfully.
❤️ #HelpEmilyHeal
❤️
Organizer
Tiffany Zullo
Organizer
Jericho, VT
