Danielle Penner

Help Aryn Safely Get Through Life-Changing Brain Surgery On April 30th, my husband Aryn (38) will undergo a major brain surgery called craniotomy with laminectomy of the first cervical vertibra for Chiari Malformation Decompression. Over the past year, his health has declined rapidly and dramatically. What started with the loss of vision in his left eye has progressed into constant, agonizing pressure headaches, severe dizziness and vertigo, dangerous balance issues (including losing consciousness), nerve pain, muscle wasting, and extreme fatigue. Everyday things like coughing or sneezing can cause intense spikes of pain. Aryn has been diagnosed with a severe Chiari 1 malformation, along with other complex conditions including POTS, EDS, and neuropathy. His surgical team—one of the most experienced in the country for this procedure—is hopeful that this operation will relieve the pressure on his brain and spinal cord, restore some function, and give him back some quality of life. This surgery is not minor. It involves opening the back of his skull and removing part of the top vertebra in his neck to allow his brain the space it needs and restore proper fluid flow. We are hopeful—but the road ahead is long and uncertain. --- Why we need help Last September, I (Dani, 45) had to leave my job as a professional caregiver to become Aryn’s full-time caregiver as his condition worsened. Unfortunately, in our state, spouses cannot be paid for providing this care. We are a family of four, including our 4-year-old daughter and my 15-year-old autistic child who also requires daily support. Right now, we are surviving on $833 a month in assistance. We don’t have family or a support system who can step in to help. And because of our rural, off-grid living situation, outside caregiving and childcare options are not realistically available. --- The immediate need Aryn’s surgery will take place over 6 hours away, across the mountains. After this type of brain surgery, staying close to the hospital is critical in case of complications. Traveling back over the mountains too soon could cause serious risks, including a cerebrospinal fluid leak. We are trying to raise funds for: • A two-week hotel stay near the hospital after surgery • Fuel for travel so I can be there to care for him • Basic recovery needs during that critical period --- Creating a safe recovery at home Our home is a small off-grid cabin that is not currently safe for Aryn’s recovery. If we are able to raise more, the funds will also go toward: • A recliner so he can safely sleep downstairs after surgery • Handrails for our stairs • A ramp so he can safely enter and exit the home • A walker with a seat to prevent falls These are not comforts—they are essential for preventing further injury during recovery. --- Why this matters Aryn is an incredibly strong, resilient person who has been fighting through unimaginable pain just to get through each day. This surgery is our chance to stop the progression and give him a future with less pain, more stability, and hopefully some restoration of what has been lost. What this surgery means to Aryn Before all of this, Aryn and I built our life around a shared dream—to create a peaceful homestead for our family. A place where our kids could grow, where we could build something meaningful together, and where life felt steady and full. Over the past year, that dream has been put on hold as his health has declined so severely. Aryn isn’t expecting to go back to the life he had before. What he hopes for is much simpler—and, to us, just as meaningful. He wants to be able to be out of bed for more than brief moments. He wants to play outside with our daughter again—even if it’s just for an hour. He wants to draw, to write, and to take part in building the life we’ve been dreaming of, instead of watching it from the sidelines. Any amount of improvement would mean everything to our family. And even if the surgery doesn’t restore what’s been lost, if it can stop things from getting worse—if it can give him some stability—that alone would be enough for us to hold onto hope. Right now, I’m doing everything I can to support him through this. This is our chance to give him even a small piece of that life back. Right now, we are doing everything we can—but we cannot do this part alone. --- If you are able to donate, any amount helps more than we can express. If you can’t, sharing this page could make all the difference. Thank you for reading, for caring, and for helping us get Aryn through this.