Fierce
I am posting Kristin's story....Since this post of hers below she and her husband had bought a house and she fulfilled her dream of getting pregnant after a LOT of trying....knowing there would be some risks. There were some medical complications and she had a trach put in during the last month but the baby made it to term. Kristin was finally a mom. She was home, trach was out and they were happy and healthy!! Or so we thought. It lasted a week before tragedy struck again. We lost Kristin on Friday 4/23. The world lost a selfless, beautiful, fierce and giving soul. She made it brighter for everyone she knew and all of the youth that she worked with in my hometown.
Please give if you can for Kristin's baby and husband as she was the caregiver. I am leaving her story here so you can really understand why we are raising this money.
https://gofund.me/477351c6
(Kristin's words)
Hi everyone! Let me start off by saying, thank you for making me feel comfortable enough to share. I also hope that my story will not leave you feeling bad for me, but look at it as a story to help you not take anything for granted and embrace what you have each day! *breatheeeee* here goes nothing... My name is Kristin, and I am Stage 4 Cancer survivor. I was diagnosed when I was 19 years old. I was living the life! I was popular, gorgeous, and had the world by the balls....and was so into myself. Boy, was I humbled, and forced to grow up, real quick.I went through a year ( Monday they Friday like clock work 9-5pm) of intense chemo and 2 types of radiation. Over the years, I have had 18 surgeries. I had a neck dissection (took 1/2 my neck out.) and the radiation ruined my bones and gave me a disease that requires me to have my left jaw replaced with my shoulder. (I swear.) I had a 50/50 chance to not survive the surgery. It was a 21 hour surgery and 3 teams of doctors had to rotate to finish it. I was in icu for 18 days and had a heart attack while there... i was told I would lose the mobility of my left arm.. proved them wrong and was living like a champ just 8 weeks after, but I lost the opening of my jaw. It can only open about an inch. My palate was burnt off my radiation and my speech is ruined. I sound nasally xs a thousand. Let’s fast forward... in 2007 I met my husband. I finished college, and snagged a great job. We married in 2012 (in disney of course- grand flo bride - horse and carriage and all.) My husband deployed, and he was hurt and had surgery and was sent home. He suffered major PTSD and was also put on intense pain meds for months, then tossed out to live a normal life. He suffered with addiction for a while. We had some real big ups and downs, but when things got the best ever.. he had beat the odds and was doing amazing ... We were at the best point of our life .. then a year ago next week... our world changed. He had 14 surgeries in less than a year. 2 open heart valve replacements and 2 brain aneurysms and 1 brain cyst removal and many ab and leg aneurysms. And now suffered seizures from it all. He didn’t know who I was for weeks. Didn’t remember anything. He had to learn how to read write and speak again. All while I was hit with sudden deafness (google it.) deaf ! Couldn’t hear a thing! It was so much at once.... He was in and out of the hospital for about 10 months.. After a while, a little hearing has returned. Just sounds but not vocals. And He still struggles with everyday life but we both survived for each other. We embrace each day with blessings and we LOVEEEEEEE DISNEY ! But on a happy note, he is doing well. Day by day.. and I am going for a cochlear implant in June to restore my hearing. God willing, I cannot wait to hear Disney music again!! I know my pictures don’t show a lot. My neck is obvious. I can’t hide that, but i know how to work the camera and my angles hide along. If you saw me head on- you would see why I feel like a monster. People stare, talk trash, and make me very uncomfortable at times, but I just try to pray for them. That nothing like this would happen to them or their loved ones. I try to stay positive because I am here for a reason. And it’s not to be salty and miserable. It’s to help others get through hard times. I am a walking miracle- and my husband is too, Times 5. I just want to leave everyone with this... this group is amazing. No shaming and no judgement . Everyone has a story and a reason for why the look, act, feel a certain way. Be a good human. Be kind. And don’t judge. Others have and can do things that I can only wish to have. So eat a burger- sing a song- listen to your parents voice and blast some disney music.. for me! thank you all for letting me share my story. I hope this is ok to say... My God bless you all with happiness and acceptance and love ❤️ he blesses me everyday.
