"Help Mary Kristene Chapa's Recovery"
Donation protected
UPDATE: November 9, 2020
Thank you to each and every one of you for your kindness and support! I am happy to share some good news: I’ve been invited to join The Society for Collegiate Leadership & Achievement (SCLA), a national honor society. SCLA is a multidisciplinary honor society with members at over 600 colleges and universities nationwide. Your encouragement has made all the difference through the past few years.
Rehabilitation will always be my challenge. It’s unfortunate but this is who I am now. Yes, I’m doing a lot better but continue to have problems with muscle tone on the left side of my body, severe headaches and migraines, PTSD, anxiety and panic attacks. The muscles in my throat are weak. Sometimes I have trouble swallowing liquids and choke easily. I can’t just walk anywhere I want to go. The toes on my left foot are curled which makes me unbalanced. As a result, I have to get injections every three months to loosen the muscles in the bottom of my foot, ankle, calf, thigh, tricep, elbow, forearm, palm, and thumb. In addition to the injections, I have to take medication for pain and to relax my left side. Meanwhile, I continue to struggle for access to therapy and new, improved equipment.
It’s a non-stop struggle. I can’t drive myself to school and doctor’s appointments. My father has Glaucoma, is losing his vision, and is frustrated that he can’t work. My mom continues working in human services as a Personal Care Assistant for the elderly and disabled. We can’t afford for her to finally retire.
Stay tuned for news about my book that Chivas Sandage, my co-writer, is at work on!
LGBTQ influencer Josh Helfgott just made a video about Mollie and me for TikTok. I’ll post a link here ASAP!
I want to inspire! I want to share my story with the hope of contributing to a world where compassion is stronger than violence and hate.
With gratitude,
Kristene
#itakebullets
Thank you to each and every one of you for your kindness and support! I am happy to share some good news: I’ve been invited to join The Society for Collegiate Leadership & Achievement (SCLA), a national honor society. SCLA is a multidisciplinary honor society with members at over 600 colleges and universities nationwide. Your encouragement has made all the difference through the past few years.
Rehabilitation will always be my challenge. It’s unfortunate but this is who I am now. Yes, I’m doing a lot better but continue to have problems with muscle tone on the left side of my body, severe headaches and migraines, PTSD, anxiety and panic attacks. The muscles in my throat are weak. Sometimes I have trouble swallowing liquids and choke easily. I can’t just walk anywhere I want to go. The toes on my left foot are curled which makes me unbalanced. As a result, I have to get injections every three months to loosen the muscles in the bottom of my foot, ankle, calf, thigh, tricep, elbow, forearm, palm, and thumb. In addition to the injections, I have to take medication for pain and to relax my left side. Meanwhile, I continue to struggle for access to therapy and new, improved equipment.
It’s a non-stop struggle. I can’t drive myself to school and doctor’s appointments. My father has Glaucoma, is losing his vision, and is frustrated that he can’t work. My mom continues working in human services as a Personal Care Assistant for the elderly and disabled. We can’t afford for her to finally retire.
Stay tuned for news about my book that Chivas Sandage, my co-writer, is at work on!
LGBTQ influencer Josh Helfgott just made a video about Mollie and me for TikTok. I’ll post a link here ASAP!
I want to inspire! I want to share my story with the hope of contributing to a world where compassion is stronger than violence and hate.
With gratitude,
Kristene
#itakebullets
Organizer and beneficiary
Alma Lopez
Organizer
Sinton, TX
Graciela Chapa
Beneficiary