Help Cheryl Regain Her Independence
Donation protected
Many of us have known Cheryl since childhood, as a former classmate and high school alumni of ours from Tonawanda, NY.
People who've known her for any length of time, knows she lives her life "along the extra mile" helping and giving to everyone she meets. She has accomplished much on her own, and while as a single mom, raised her now successful adult son. She is a talented, qualified RN, who has worked a lifetime as a giving and caring nurse in the medical field helping others for 39 years. Her experience has included nursing, training, teaching and supervising in literally all fields of health care.
She has responsibly held positions in hospitals, home health nursing, relief and travel nursing throughout the country. As a dedicated professional, she gave of herself unconditionally to her patients, students and co workers. Here's just one example of Cheryl serving a 26 week old premature infant in the Neo-Natal ICU Nursery.
From 2012-2016, Cheryl suffered quite an unfortunate series of physical and medical setbacks that have taken away her independence, autonomy and ability to serve. These setbacks have left her disabled, and caused her to deplete her emergency funds, investments and savings. We have recently become aware of her declining situation that has transformed her from living a strong productive life helping others, to being sick, confined to her home, isolated, and in need of help herself.
She is currently faced with many needs that urgently require aid. As is characteristic for her, she strongly wishes to diligently work on recovering and regaining her independence. To do so, she requires immediate medical, financial, therapeutic, and household assistance. There were several events that have caused her decline.
It all began with a terrible and traumatic fall that resulted in a serious break to the upper arm, the 3rd largest bone in the body. This left her unable to work, and began her immobility. Incorrect and awkward immobilization for 4 months, affected the entire right side of her body, all the way down to her waist, hip, knee, ankle and foot alignment.
And, because of improper physical therapy by an inexperienced practitioner the injured muscles in the arm, shoulder and back were exasperated, which consequently did not heal properly.
She was then T-boned in an automobile accident that added more injuries, involving her pelvis and hips. She was awake for 39 hours straight after this traumatic event. After this wreck, her overall health began to decline due to the stress on her entire nervous system, pain and malalignment of the body.
She became extremely weak, and finally discovered she was having severe reactions to mold found in her home and water. This exposure caused mold toxicity and weakened her immune system. Healing from mold toxicity can take from 6 months to 5 years and is not covered by health insurance.
Just when her system couldn't be more vulnerable, 6 months later, her neighborhood was abundantly sprayed with pesticides, and she developed all the hallmark symptoms of pesticide poisoning. This left her extremely sensitive to chemicals, car fumes, newsprint, perfumes, and electromagnetic sensitivity etc., otherwise known as environmental illness.
It put her completely over the edge physically. She became even weaker, developed serious symptoms and ended up in the ER, not as a nurse, but as a severely ill patient.
And here's what Cheryl looked like just 4 months before her broken arm and all the rest began.
Cheryl is in need of specialty doctors, also not covered by insurance, to do the evaluation and treatment of her environmental illness issues. The malalignment of the muscles, tissues and joints from the initial broken arm and car wreck have caused an incorrect functioning on the right side of her body, and issues with balance and mobility. Then the lack of normal daily activities, which we all take for granted, has caused a weakening in general, of her overall strength.
Throughout all of this, she has done more work on herself than anyone we know would have. Things like, self massage, trigger point therapy, taping, stretching, pulley and band work, visualization and positive mental attitude, to name a few. She has spent the past year and a half teaching herself how to walk properly again, and still needs assistance with that. She knows she can be free of the 4 wheeled-walker currently being used, by receiving the proper therapy and strengthening necessary.
Cheryl has become a prisoner in her home, isolated and inadequately able to care for herself. She has been living in a 10 x 12 foot room for almost 5 years, with no family or friends locally for support.
She must rely on help from neighbors to carry out such simple chores as taking out the garbage, to buying groceries, and getting her to medical appointments.
In addition to addressing the environmental illness, Cheryl's restoration is dependent upon receiving proper and adequate physical therapy, massage therapy, strength training and chiropractic treatment. She is also in need of medical transportation to obtain the medical services, rehab, and proper exercise necessary for recovery.
As well, she requires household and aide help on a daily basis, or at the very minimum - several times per week. On top of everything else she must move to a less expensive and more maintainable home. To do so requires payment of the first and last month’s rent, security deposit, along with assistance in the entire process of moving as she is currently so limited physically.
We have known her since childhood, for over 50 years. And while we are functional, because of all she has been through, she is not... when she definitely was, just 5 years ago. We have seen her steadily growing challenges and wish to see her get the help she deserves to restore herself to being a strong, healthy and independent woman again.
In our opinion, she has suffered enough.
And, nobody likes to ask for help of this nature.
We believe in Cheryl and her ability to recover. Any help, especially immediate, is greatly appreciated and will be used wisely and carefully. We appreciate all positive thoughts, encouragements and prayers for her physical, emotional, and social well being. And we thank you in advance for any support you can provide our dear friend.
It is her desire and goal to be functional, mobile, self sufficient and able to serve again. And so we close with a motto adopted from Cheryl's decades of selflessly serving others, “Team work makes the dream work”.
"Our team" and Cheryl are grateful for your support!
People who've known her for any length of time, knows she lives her life "along the extra mile" helping and giving to everyone she meets. She has accomplished much on her own, and while as a single mom, raised her now successful adult son. She is a talented, qualified RN, who has worked a lifetime as a giving and caring nurse in the medical field helping others for 39 years. Her experience has included nursing, training, teaching and supervising in literally all fields of health care.
She has responsibly held positions in hospitals, home health nursing, relief and travel nursing throughout the country. As a dedicated professional, she gave of herself unconditionally to her patients, students and co workers. Here's just one example of Cheryl serving a 26 week old premature infant in the Neo-Natal ICU Nursery.
From 2012-2016, Cheryl suffered quite an unfortunate series of physical and medical setbacks that have taken away her independence, autonomy and ability to serve. These setbacks have left her disabled, and caused her to deplete her emergency funds, investments and savings. We have recently become aware of her declining situation that has transformed her from living a strong productive life helping others, to being sick, confined to her home, isolated, and in need of help herself.
She is currently faced with many needs that urgently require aid. As is characteristic for her, she strongly wishes to diligently work on recovering and regaining her independence. To do so, she requires immediate medical, financial, therapeutic, and household assistance. There were several events that have caused her decline.
It all began with a terrible and traumatic fall that resulted in a serious break to the upper arm, the 3rd largest bone in the body. This left her unable to work, and began her immobility. Incorrect and awkward immobilization for 4 months, affected the entire right side of her body, all the way down to her waist, hip, knee, ankle and foot alignment.
And, because of improper physical therapy by an inexperienced practitioner the injured muscles in the arm, shoulder and back were exasperated, which consequently did not heal properly.
She was then T-boned in an automobile accident that added more injuries, involving her pelvis and hips. She was awake for 39 hours straight after this traumatic event. After this wreck, her overall health began to decline due to the stress on her entire nervous system, pain and malalignment of the body.
She became extremely weak, and finally discovered she was having severe reactions to mold found in her home and water. This exposure caused mold toxicity and weakened her immune system. Healing from mold toxicity can take from 6 months to 5 years and is not covered by health insurance.
Just when her system couldn't be more vulnerable, 6 months later, her neighborhood was abundantly sprayed with pesticides, and she developed all the hallmark symptoms of pesticide poisoning. This left her extremely sensitive to chemicals, car fumes, newsprint, perfumes, and electromagnetic sensitivity etc., otherwise known as environmental illness.
It put her completely over the edge physically. She became even weaker, developed serious symptoms and ended up in the ER, not as a nurse, but as a severely ill patient.
And here's what Cheryl looked like just 4 months before her broken arm and all the rest began.
Cheryl is in need of specialty doctors, also not covered by insurance, to do the evaluation and treatment of her environmental illness issues. The malalignment of the muscles, tissues and joints from the initial broken arm and car wreck have caused an incorrect functioning on the right side of her body, and issues with balance and mobility. Then the lack of normal daily activities, which we all take for granted, has caused a weakening in general, of her overall strength.
Throughout all of this, she has done more work on herself than anyone we know would have. Things like, self massage, trigger point therapy, taping, stretching, pulley and band work, visualization and positive mental attitude, to name a few. She has spent the past year and a half teaching herself how to walk properly again, and still needs assistance with that. She knows she can be free of the 4 wheeled-walker currently being used, by receiving the proper therapy and strengthening necessary.
Cheryl has become a prisoner in her home, isolated and inadequately able to care for herself. She has been living in a 10 x 12 foot room for almost 5 years, with no family or friends locally for support.
She must rely on help from neighbors to carry out such simple chores as taking out the garbage, to buying groceries, and getting her to medical appointments.
In addition to addressing the environmental illness, Cheryl's restoration is dependent upon receiving proper and adequate physical therapy, massage therapy, strength training and chiropractic treatment. She is also in need of medical transportation to obtain the medical services, rehab, and proper exercise necessary for recovery.
As well, she requires household and aide help on a daily basis, or at the very minimum - several times per week. On top of everything else she must move to a less expensive and more maintainable home. To do so requires payment of the first and last month’s rent, security deposit, along with assistance in the entire process of moving as she is currently so limited physically.
We have known her since childhood, for over 50 years. And while we are functional, because of all she has been through, she is not... when she definitely was, just 5 years ago. We have seen her steadily growing challenges and wish to see her get the help she deserves to restore herself to being a strong, healthy and independent woman again.
In our opinion, she has suffered enough.
And, nobody likes to ask for help of this nature.
We believe in Cheryl and her ability to recover. Any help, especially immediate, is greatly appreciated and will be used wisely and carefully. We appreciate all positive thoughts, encouragements and prayers for her physical, emotional, and social well being. And we thank you in advance for any support you can provide our dear friend.
It is her desire and goal to be functional, mobile, self sufficient and able to serve again. And so we close with a motto adopted from Cheryl's decades of selflessly serving others, “Team work makes the dream work”.
"Our team" and Cheryl are grateful for your support!
Organizer and beneficiary
Don Barnard
Organizer
North Tonawanda, NY
Cheryl Laures
Beneficiary