Help Natalie Hourigan Get Neurosurgery

In November, my 16-year-old cousin Natalie Hourigan is scheduled for neurosurgery in New York City to treat Craniocervical Instability, a result of hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), a rare connective tissue disorder. This surgery will relieve compression on her brainstem and allow her nervous system to correctly regulate all her body systems. The hope is that surgery will relieve most of the symptoms Natalie has been suffering from over the past 3 years (debilitating fatigue, swelling of her face, abdomen, and joints, digestive complications, migraines, brain fog, rapid pulse, irregular blood pressure, and tremors). Natalie is a junior in high school but has been unable to attend high school due to the debilitating effects of this disorder. Natalie desperately wants to get back to school with her friends and hopes to pursue a career in medicine.

 

Unfortunately, since hEDS is a rare and often misdiagnosed disorder, Natalie’s family has had difficulty getting coverage for her medical expenses. The upcoming surgery, follow-up treatment, and 3 months of recovery are going to cost over $300,000 out of pocket. This is money they have to come up with that insurance is NOT covering, which is why I have created this Go Fund Me campaign. This is in addition to the thousands of dollars they have already spent (out of pocket) for Natalie’s care over the past 3 years.

 

I thank you in advance for your generosity. My hope is that my cousin, Natalie, will get the help she desperately wants and deserves and that she will finally be able to live life as a normal teenager post-surgery.