Cusack Family Surgery Fundraiser

My name is Jessica and I am the oldest daughter of Deborah Cusack, creator of the Cusack Protocol. Deborah Cusack is a single mom of four grown children (one son and three daughters). She researched the supplements in the Cusack Protocol many years ago in hopes of finding relief for our family from Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and other related medical issues. After trying out the supplements to see their effects on our family, Deborah decided to share her Cusack Protocol online in hopes that others could find similar relief. After receiving backlash from sharing her story on several well-known EDS pages and even being blocked from several, she decided to create her own facebook page in hopes of helping others. The "Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and the Cusack Protocol" facebook page now has over 30,000 members, many of whom have also found relief from the Cusack Protocol of supplements. She makes no financial gain by sharing her story and often struggles to make ends meet working 6 days a week.

We recently found out that Katie Cusack (one of my sisters and one of Deborah Cusack's four children) will require extensive spinal surgery this Spring (details below for those who are interested). Deborah Cusack typically works 6 days a week to support herself and her family but will need to take an extended amount of time off of work to travel with Katie to New York for pre-surgical appointments, extensive spinal surgery (details below), recovery in New York, and finally travel back home to help Katie recover. They will be traveling by car and staying in hotels close to the hospital for quite some time.

I have created this Go Fund Me page for anyone who would like to support Deborah and Katie for this surgery. Funds will go towards paying for gas and travel expenses, hotel stays, meals during travel and their stay in New York, and medical supplies. Any additional funds raised will go towards paying what I'm sure will be large medical bills for Katie, who recently graduated from college and works for a church, from which she will need to take extended time off.

I know that my mom has blessed so many people by sharing her Cusack Protocol and I share this for anyone who chooses to bless her and Katie during this difficult journey. Even if it is a few dollars to cover a meal or a tank of gas or a little bit more to cover a night at the hotel, any little bit helps. If you are not able to donate financially, please take some time to send prayers, happy vibes, or advice and support their way during this time.

Background on Katie and Surgery Details for those who are interested: Katie Cusack started the Cusack protocol over 13 years ago and since starting, has been stable enough to be a cheerleader, on the dance teams through high school and college, and she also enjoys surfing. Unfortunately, Katie’s lumbar spine is unstable due to her two past right lumbar L4-L5 surgeries (prior to starting the protocol) and her current spinal cyst. She has hairline fractures due to her spinal instability. She also has L4-L5 slippage. The neurosurgeon removed bones from her left lumbar spine when she was 6 years old when they did her tethered cord surgery. They had to cut away spine bone to get access to the spinal cord. After that surgery, she developed a spinal cord leak and several spinal cysts in that area, her left lumbar spine L4-L5, that had to be removed when she was 8 years old. They had to remove more bones on the left lumbar spine since the cysts invaded the bones. During this surgery, they attempted a spinal fusion on the left lumbar spine using bone grafting material. That spinal fusion failed leaving her lumbar spine unstable which resulted in a right lumbar spinal cyst that she’s had for the past 13 years. This all occured before her starting the supplements on the Cusack Protocol. These prior surgeries have focused on the left side of her spine. Now it is time to deal with the right side of her spine that developed problems prior to starting the protocol. This current right lumbar cyst is pushing into her spinal canal. Also, her spine at L4-L5 is “slipping” since she has so much missing bone on the left side. Her spine could splinter and “break up” and cause permanent nerve damage and/or paralysis. Also, the right spinal L4-L5 cyst is causing daily pain. The neurosurgeon will remove lumbar spinal bone on the right side to access and remove the spinal cyst, he’ll remove the cyst, then the orthopedic surgeon will put screws and rods on both the left and right side of the lumbar spine, fusing L4 and L5. Then they’ll add bone grafting material, most likely her own bone (ground up) and the bone will grow over the screws and rods over the next 6 months to a year. Then the plastic surgeon will close her up. Her recovery will be pretty lengthy since she has to grow new bone. Had she not been on the protocol the past 13 years, she would have had to undergo several surgeries sooner and throughout all these years. We are thankful for the Cusack Protocol for getting her out of the body braces and allowing her to participate in all of the activities she has throughout middle school, high school, and college and are hopeful that after this surgery she will continue to be able to be her vibrant active self.

Thank you for taking the time to read and for your support!