My niece Gia experienced something traumatic on March 11th of this year. While at work, she became extremely overheated and felt a sharp pain in her right shoulder, down her right arm, and down her right leg. She didn’t know what was happening to her. It couldn’t be a stroke; she is only 21. But why was this only happening to the right side of her body? She sat down at a table and was frozen in pain. She called out to a coworker for help, and they saw a young college student sitting there with a beet-red face, sweat dripping all over her, eyes wide open with fright but sitting completely still. They wanted to call an ambulance, but Gia didn’t want that, so she asked them to take her across the street to an urgent care. They didn’t know what was happening, so they sent her to the emergency room. After 4 days at the hospital, having total paralysis of her right arm, right side of her face, and some of her right leg, they couldn’t even tell her what was wrong with her and sent her home since it didn’t seem life-threatening (not a stroke) and was told to follow up with a neurologist since it seemed to be inflamed nerves in her right shoulder. After almost 3 months, she is still in a lot of pain but has gained back mobility in her right leg and all feeling in her face, but not her right arm, and of course, she is right-handed. Now, she can’t work, can’t drive, can’t shower, or take care of her dog. She was completely reliant on her family and boyfriend. She went to see multiple specialists, hearing that she possibly had Parsonage-Turner syndrome or CRPS, but the tests run did not show definitive signs. One specialist even stripped her of all her diagnoses and told her it was stress-related!
She needs to see more qualified specialists in New York and see if there are other treatments that can help her get the use of her arm back! After 3 months of PT, she has only gained 12% mobility! Her right arm is still paralyzed! I would lose my mind if I was in her shoes. If I was 21, with this rare condition that nobody can seem to diagnose, I can’t work, so I have no money coming in, and my savings account is now running on empty, and oh yeah, by the way, my mechanic tells me my car needs a new engine, that’s game over for me! Not her, she keeps fighting. She applied to Meredith College back in the spring and just found out she was accepted to start in the fall! That is the pic of her with the blue drink; I took her out to celebrate getting into Meredith. She will have to take out student loans, but her immediate concern is being able to write; she is right-handed!
Gia has to pay her rent, her car loan, the car’s new engine ($6,800), food, essentials, and enough money to pay for a trip to NY to see a Parsonage-Turner specialist for an appointment and possible treatment. Her condition could render her arm paralyzed for 8-12 months! If there is anything you can do to help her fund this NY trip, put an engine in her car, and help with daily living, I know she will be eternally grateful, and so will I.
