Travis & Katie Reitter Support Fund

On October 29, 2016, Travis Reitter was experiencing flu-like symptoms, along with tingling and numbness in his feet.  On November 1, with his symptoms worsening, his wife Katie rushed him to the emergency room.  Two days later, Travis was paralyzed from the neck down and breathing with the support of a ventilator in the ICU, where he remains today.

What we know now is that Travis has a rare and life-changing disease known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS).  GBS is when your body's immune system attacks your nerves. Visit the GBS International Foundation for more information.

The cause of GBS is unknown.  While devastating to experience and witness, there is hope.  Many patients of GBS go on to make full recoveries.  As an otherwise healthy young man, there is every reason to expect that Travis will recover, though recovery may take over six months to two years or longer.  

To say that Katie and Travis' life has been upended is an understatement.  As many of us know, the Reitters were overjoyed to welcome baby Julia to their family in March. While eight month old Julia is the sweetest  and most smiley baby, she requires her own round-the-clock care.  When Katie isn't by Travis' bedside in the ICU, she is shuttling Julia to child care or trying to spend any kind of quality time with her.  Katie is dealing with the dizzying chaos of disability claims, insurance, work, and family finances, not to mention the "ordinary" demands of being a new mother and non-profit employee.  Travis' recovery will be a marathon, not a sprint, and everyone close to the situation is digging in for the long haul. 

Travis and Katie Reitter are some of the kindest and best people in the world, and they need us now.  Travis is known for his passion for life and positive outlook, love for his family and commitment to living a happy and healthy lifestyle. He is loving, generous, creative, and loves being a husband and dad. Travis is a senior software developer with awesome technical chops. One of his joys is traveling to other countries to give talks at large conventions and seminars, making international friends all along the way. He has a huge network to help him and Katie through through this.  

Katie, ironically, has spent her entire career working for organizations that fight for social justice and care for the most vulnerable in our society, and now she and her family are the ones in need.  She has a deep commitment to women's health and the environment and is an incredible mom to Julia. 

We are lucky to live in a modern, sharing economy, and there are many services that can help ease their burden. Things like babysitting, housecleaning, food preparation and delivery, in-home nursing care, insurance, and more are all available.. but they come at a steep price.

Please contribute generously to the Travis and Katie Reitter support fund.  No amount is too small, and every donation counts.  We know that Travis and Katie would be the first in line to help any of us, and this is a very tangible way that you can make a difference in their lives when they need it most.  Thank you so much for your consideration and generous support.

If you would like to leave well wishes for the family, please leave them on the Go Fund Me page.  We encourage you to give Katie and Travis space at this time and refrain from sending texts or placing calls.

Here is a video of Travis and Julia filmed the day he started having symptoms. Let us all look forward to future moments like these.