I became an incomplete quadriplegic following a surgery to remove a spinal cord tumor in Feb 2013. I spent 4 months in a spinal cord rehabilitation unit and was able to learn to walk again. My children gave me an INSPIRE key this year for my birthday because they feel that I inspire them to believe that anything is possible.
I was driven to give my Giving Key to my friend Trish when I spent some time with her last week. We worked together several years ago and discovered that we had gone through some of the same life struggles, relationship issues and that our children were the same age.
About a year after I moved away from where we were living, she became ill, with what they thought was leukemia. Through the past years she has gone through numerous appointments, doctors, and treatments and found she actually has Hypereosinophilic syndrome. I don't know much about it, but I do know that the past few years have been a daily fight for her to be well.
This year, the decision was made to do a bone marrow transplant. She had to live in a city 3 hours from her family and now due to complications is back living 3 hours away from her family to receive the treatments she needs. All through the past years and especially when I was in the rehabilitation center, she has been a huge inspiration to me.
Through everything she has been through, she doesn't complain, she does everything she can (which is sometimes too much) to be a great mother and wife, and even when she hasn't been her best, she has always been in my corner, encouraging me to keep working hard to be on my feet. I'm blessed to have her in my life and can't wait to see her get back to health.
Trish is a huge inspiration to everyone who knows her and I am proud to pass on my Inspire key.
