Cait Heiman

I wanted to share an update on my journey with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) and thank everyone who has supported my daughter and me through what has been the most difficult time of our lives. I continue to live in a nursing home, where I am receiving around-the-clock care and working through the lasting effects of GBS. I still have very limited use of my hands, am unable to walk, and deal with chronic nerve, muscle, and joint pain every day. This past week, I received news that has been incredibly difficult to process. I was told that I will not be able to walk again and will most likely remain paralyzed from the waist down. I will also need to undergo several invasive and painful surgeries to correct fixed joints that have developed in my ankles and hips. These surgeries will hopefully improve my positioning, mobility, comfort, and quality of life, but even after them, I am still unlikely to regain the ability to walk. It is difficult to put into words what it feels like to hear that this may be my new reality. There is a lot to grieve and a lot I am still trying to process. At the same time, I have to keep figuring out how to move forward and build a life for my daughter and myself that looks very different from the one I had before GBS. As a single mother to a 7-year-old daughter, one of my biggest concerns continues to be providing for her while navigating all of this. I currently have no income while I go through the lengthy process of applying for disability, and the financial strain continues to grow. Donations to my GoFundMe are helping with mounting medical expenses, including specialized hospital and nursing home care and neurological treatment; extensive physical and occupational therapy; basic living expenses while I am unable to work; and the equipment and home modifications I will need to live as safely and independently as possible, including a wheelchair, ramps, a Hoyer lift, a hospital bed, and other accessibility needs. Through all of this, my daughter continues to be one of my greatest sources of happiness and motivation. She cheers me up, cheers me on, and gives me a reason to keep looking toward the future even on the hardest days. I am also holding onto something else that feels like a small piece of myself again: creating. In the upcoming weeks, I hope to reopen my Wild Violet Made Etsy shop with a brand-new jewelry collection. Being able to create again, even with the limitations I now have in my hands, means more to me than I can explain. It gives me something positive to work toward and a way to begin rebuilding a part of the life and business I had before I became sick. There is still so much uncertainty ahead, and this latest news has been devastating. But I am doing my best to adjust to what comes next, one day at a time. Thank you to everyone who has donated, shared my GoFundMe, checked in on us, sent kind words, or supported us in any way. Every donation and every share truly makes a difference for my daughter and me. If you are able to donate or share this fundraiser again, I would be incredibly grateful. Thank you for continuing to stand beside us through this journey.

I wanted to take a moment to share an update on my journey battling Guillain-Barré Syndrome. After 3 surgeries and 8 long months in the hospital, I am currently residing in a nursing home and undergoing intensive physical and occupational therapy. My hope is to regain at least some mobility and function in my hands and legs, although unfortunately, nothing is guaranteed. I am still unable to walk and continue to deal with intense, chronic pain every day. This has been an incredibly difficult and stressful chapter of my life. I miss my home, my independence, and especially creating and teaching art. Those things have always been such a huge part of who I am, and being away from them has been heartbreaking. One of the greatest bright spots during all of this has been being able to spend time with my daughter every day. I’m trying to soak up as much time with her as possible before school starts and treasure these moments together. I’m also holding onto hope for the future. I would love to resume coordinating art shows again soon, and I’m hoping to reopen my art shop and sell the remaining stock I have. Being able to create, work, and contribute to the art community again would mean so much to me. To everyone who has donated, shared my fundraiser, sent messages, checked in, or simply kept me in your thoughts — thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your kindness and generosity have helped carry me through some of the darkest and most uncertain days of my life. The support from my community has meant more than I could ever adequately express. Thank you for continuing to stand beside me as I work toward healing, regaining my independence, and finding my way back to the life I love. ~ With love from Cait & Aria