Hannah’s Road to AMSAN GBS Recovery

Since the day she was born, I have been blessed to have watched Hannah grow into the incredible 17 year old girl she is today. Intelligent, hilarious, driven, compassionate, Hannah is a great student, employee (that started working at 14 to save up for her own car), volunteer, friend and big sister - who suffered seizures mid-March that resulted in a coma, brain surgery and ultimately quadriplegia.

Nearly 3 months in, Hannah has regained her vision, voice and ability to eat/swallow food, but has a difficult road ahead of her and has lost all the independence she worked so hard to gain as a teen. Other than some head, neck and shoulder movement along with her left hand, her progress is extremely slow. Diagnosed with AMSAN (Acute Motor Sensory Axonal Neuropathy) Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), Hannah's diagnosis is extremely rare (especially in the US), as AMSAN GBS makes up about 5% of all GBS cases, which affect 1-2 cases per 100,000 population. Her prognosis expects up to 18 months of rehabilitation with an 85% chance of full recovery

After 100+ days in the hospital, Hannah is expected to come home in July. Knowing that once she returns home she will continue to require 24-hour care, her mother walked away from a career she worked the past 20 years to grow and in turn her family has lost half their income. With 3 other children to care for, including Hannah's little sister (a recent Kindergarten grad) and her step-brother who is on the spectrum, we are hoping to ensure Hannah and her family have everything they need to be able to care for her safely at home and continue to provide for her siblings. The family home will require accessibility renovations, as well as mobility equipment, a transportation solution and her outpatient care will far exceed what is covered by insurance.

Hannah and her family are dedicated volunteers and have always supported the Cleveland community, devoting their time to the Greater Cleveland and Second Harvest Food Banks, March of Dimes, the Autism Society of Greater Cleveland, EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Taste of the NFL, Chefs Move to School (particularly with Warrensville Middle School), American Heart Association, University Hospitals 5 Star Sensation and Autism Speaks. We are now hoping the community - and beyond - supports this philinthropic family in return during their time of need.

My family and Hannah’s have been life-long friends for over 40 years. They have a difficult journey ahead of them and it will take a village to support Hannah and her family through this. Funds will go towards helping cover medical, renovation, equipment, rehabilitation, medication, transportation and other necessary or unforeseen out of pocket expenses as they navigate this emotional time. If you are able, any donation is so appreciated. We thank you for your love, kindness, prayers, positive energy and support.