Kim’s Brain Surgery Expense
Donation protected
This is my best friend Kim, her family could really use your support both spiritually and financially.
Many of you know that Kim was diagnosed with something called Chiari Malformation.
Nearly 5 years ago, in April of 2014, she woke up one day with a headache that never went away. Her symptoms have been at times, unbearable. She has been fighting for years to find an exact cause and have a dr validate that her pain was real.
All along, her pain has been due to the brain malformation where her brain stem is being squeezed and her cerebellar tonsils are extending too far down into her spinal canal. Even though she had a diagnosis noted in her first MRI back in 2014, the two neurologists she had seen brushed off the condition.
She’s continued to suffer daily from the symptoms of this condition . She’s tried her best to push forward and fight through the pain of this invisible illness. Late last year she began to have added symptoms including blacking out and dizzy spells. After some tests her primary care doctor put in a referral in September of 2018, and she found a neurosurgeon in NH who finally ordered the right tests.
After completing more detailed MRI's to find what the issue was, the surgeon explained that her brain had what they found was complete obliteration of csf in the cerebral aqueduct, no signs of csf in the fourth ventricle of her brain and dampening of csf throughout the brain specifically in the lower portion for the brain by the brain stem. The cerebellar tonsils are blocking the cerebrospinal fluid from travelling to and from the brain. The issue at hand was finally found and confirmed to be the Chiari Malformation.
After nearly 5 years of searching for the right Dr and finding a neurosurgeon that could give her the best possible chance at a better quality of life and a life free from pain, Kim is scheduled for surgery tomorrow on Jan 24th. Her surgeon has thoroughly explained the surgery process to Kim and her husband Todd and feels confident in this plan.
A small glimpse into her surgery will be like this... The doctor will be removing a portion of the back of Kim’s skull, detaching and separating the neck muscles, opening the Dura (the sack / membrane that is around the brain), making another higher incision on her head to get a piece of peri-cranium (thin muscle layer) to sew into the Dura to make it bigger, potentially shrinking the brain tonsils to create more room in the skull, removing a portion of her C1 vertebrae, screwing in a titanium plate that arches over the hole removed in the skull, re-attaching the neck muscles to the plate and then sewing the head shut.
Kim and her husband Todd will be in NH for about a week depending on how surgery goes. As I'm sure you can imagine the costs out of pocket can be very high in order to do something like this to give Kim a better chance to be without pain . I've put together this fundraiser to help offset some of the costs she will be coming across such as accommodations, meals for Todd as he is with her for her hospital stay, help with hospital and doctor’s costs, co-pays for surgery appointments and for help with anything else needed. Even with insurance, medical bills can be a financial burden.
Most importantly, I ask that you all keep her and her family in your prayers as she embarks on this journey to be healed. Pray for Dr. Phillips and the doctors that will be treating her throughout recovery, the nurses, all hospital caregivers, for their safe travel and her complete healing. Pray for her husband as he is there with her supporting her through this time, for her kids and her family who is helping with the kids in the weeks to follow. I know Kim would never want to ask for help but I wanted to do what I could for her. Thank you for your contributions and prayers!!!
Many of you know that Kim was diagnosed with something called Chiari Malformation.
Nearly 5 years ago, in April of 2014, she woke up one day with a headache that never went away. Her symptoms have been at times, unbearable. She has been fighting for years to find an exact cause and have a dr validate that her pain was real.
All along, her pain has been due to the brain malformation where her brain stem is being squeezed and her cerebellar tonsils are extending too far down into her spinal canal. Even though she had a diagnosis noted in her first MRI back in 2014, the two neurologists she had seen brushed off the condition.
She’s continued to suffer daily from the symptoms of this condition . She’s tried her best to push forward and fight through the pain of this invisible illness. Late last year she began to have added symptoms including blacking out and dizzy spells. After some tests her primary care doctor put in a referral in September of 2018, and she found a neurosurgeon in NH who finally ordered the right tests.
After completing more detailed MRI's to find what the issue was, the surgeon explained that her brain had what they found was complete obliteration of csf in the cerebral aqueduct, no signs of csf in the fourth ventricle of her brain and dampening of csf throughout the brain specifically in the lower portion for the brain by the brain stem. The cerebellar tonsils are blocking the cerebrospinal fluid from travelling to and from the brain. The issue at hand was finally found and confirmed to be the Chiari Malformation.
After nearly 5 years of searching for the right Dr and finding a neurosurgeon that could give her the best possible chance at a better quality of life and a life free from pain, Kim is scheduled for surgery tomorrow on Jan 24th. Her surgeon has thoroughly explained the surgery process to Kim and her husband Todd and feels confident in this plan.
A small glimpse into her surgery will be like this... The doctor will be removing a portion of the back of Kim’s skull, detaching and separating the neck muscles, opening the Dura (the sack / membrane that is around the brain), making another higher incision on her head to get a piece of peri-cranium (thin muscle layer) to sew into the Dura to make it bigger, potentially shrinking the brain tonsils to create more room in the skull, removing a portion of her C1 vertebrae, screwing in a titanium plate that arches over the hole removed in the skull, re-attaching the neck muscles to the plate and then sewing the head shut.
Kim and her husband Todd will be in NH for about a week depending on how surgery goes. As I'm sure you can imagine the costs out of pocket can be very high in order to do something like this to give Kim a better chance to be without pain . I've put together this fundraiser to help offset some of the costs she will be coming across such as accommodations, meals for Todd as he is with her for her hospital stay, help with hospital and doctor’s costs, co-pays for surgery appointments and for help with anything else needed. Even with insurance, medical bills can be a financial burden.
Most importantly, I ask that you all keep her and her family in your prayers as she embarks on this journey to be healed. Pray for Dr. Phillips and the doctors that will be treating her throughout recovery, the nurses, all hospital caregivers, for their safe travel and her complete healing. Pray for her husband as he is there with her supporting her through this time, for her kids and her family who is helping with the kids in the weeks to follow. I know Kim would never want to ask for help but I wanted to do what I could for her. Thank you for your contributions and prayers!!!
Organizer and beneficiary
Malynda Ferraro Nicholson
Organizer
Rutland, VT
Todd Brown
Beneficiary
