I never imagined I would be in a position to ask for help like this. I’ve always been someone who tries to handle things on my own, to push through hard times quietly and figure it out without leaning on others. But right now, my family is facing something bigger than we can manage alone.
Over the past several weeks, my 2-year-old has been going through a series of frightening and confusing medical issues. What started as small concerns quickly turned into emergency visits, specialist appointments, testing, and long days and nights filled with worry. We’ve watched our baby go through symptoms that no parent is ever prepared to see—episodes that raised concerns for seizures, abnormal lab results, and ultimately the discovery of a Rathke’s cleft cyst on her brain.
Since then, our lives have revolved around doctors, neurologists, monitoring, and trying to understand what this means for her future. There have been moments of fear, uncertainty, and exhaustion as we try to advocate for her, track her symptoms, and make sure she gets the care she needs.
The emotional toll has been heavy—but the financial strain has become overwhelming.
Between hospital visits, specialist care, testing, travel expenses, and time away from work, we’ve fallen behind. We’ve done everything we can to keep up, but the reality is that we are now facing the repossession of our vehicle—the very thing we rely on to get our daughter to her appointments and care.
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Our vehicle repossession cost has been covered by the help of friends, allowing us to focus solely on our baby without added stress. Our fund’s purpose has shifted to assisting with commuting to and from Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital, Johnstown Children’s Clinic, and our anticipated extended stays there.
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As hard as it is to say this, we need help.
Any support—whether it’s a donation, a share, or simply keeping our family in your thoughts—means more than I can fully express. This is not something I ever thought I would have to do, but right now, my focus has to be on my child and making sure she has everything she needs to get through this.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story, and for any kindness you are able to give.
