New Mom Saved By Her Child

It all started March 2019...I was 8 months pregnant and one day I woke up and felt numb from my knees down to my toes...in a couple of days that numbness took over my entire lower extremities including my hands. The scariest was not being able to feel my stomach and the baby!

I ended up in the hospital for 4 days with doctors coming in and out checking on me and the baby...I was more afraid for the baby than myself, especially when they had to do a spinal tap to confirm it was MultipleSclerosis..along with the spinal tap I had 3 different MRI’s performed to make sure the doctors didn’t miss anything. At the moment nothing could be done until after I gave birth.

On May 9 after 3 days of labor my princess came along and my world changed...she became my everything, my every breath, my heart and I later learned my Angel. For many years I was told I would have a difficult time having children but she came at the perfect time...If it wasn’t for me being pregnant, my lesion on my cervical spine indicates I should be paralyzed. She saved me! She was not only my miracle baby but my savior. Unfortunately, my disease doesn’t go away, it’s chronic and eats away on my nerves. I never got the sensation back on my hands and they are worsening each day, I lose my balance here and there and constantly walk into things ( I kind of laugh at myself to make me feel better when I do that) but it is scary because I am a mother of an infant and I pray everyday when I hold my baby I don't lose my balance..

Now after giving birth I had repeat MRI’s with contrast this time and along with bloodwork and my lesions are getting worse, so I will be starting a therapy of infusions every 6 months, this medication is very strong and needed due to my aggravated symptoms. The medication is called Ocrevus and it is one of the newest medications to treat MS. It works by depleting my B-cells pretty much my white blood cells and therefore it will make it a lot harder for me to fight infections and common colds. This medication also increases my chances of getting breast cancer, so I will have to get mammograms every 6 months to make sure I am okay. To be honest guys, its pretty scary, I mean the unknown...I am going to start a treatment to hopefully stop my lesions from growing in my brain, cervical spine and thoracic spine but what effect will that medication have on the rest of my body?

Anyways, I am writing to everyone not only to tell my story but to ask for help. I don't want anyone feeling bad for me and that is why I chose the picture I did for my campaign image, to remind myself and everyone that I was once this crazy, fun, strong person..and I believe God willing I will become her again. At the moment it is very difficult for me being a new mom and struggling with this chronic disease. There are times where it is so hard to even hold my princess, changing her is a difficult task which is the simplest thing but for me it is a challenge due to the fact that my hands are numb. Everything I touch feels like sandpaper! I have been told that at the age of 32 I am disabled and I cannot work. That was probably the most difficult thing to hear, I have always worked and not being able to is a killer. The only good thing is I spend more time with my baby girl. 

My husband and I want to provide the best possible life for our little one but it is hard when there is only one person with income and the medical bills just keep coming. We don't want our little one to suffer because I am ill. We don't want to think twice about buying her a toy because we have to pay a hospital bill. She saved me from being completely paralyzed and now we are asking for help to pay my medical bills so together with your help our daughter can have a normal life without my disease interfering.

Again I don't want anyone feeling bad for me because I am strong and I do believe I will get better, I will not let MS take over me, I have accepted that MS is a part of me and this is the new me. I have great family support and my husband is my right hand, I don't know where I would be without his support. He is a hard worker and makes sure me and the baby have everything, but he is only one person. There is no way possible in today's day and age that one middle class person can manage supporting a household and my medical bills. We aren't rich in money but we are rich in love and that matters more to me. I thank God every day for him and our baby girl. I thank God every day for bringing her into my life and saving me from being paralyzed. And I especially thank God for every day I wake up and take another breath and I am there for my princess. We have done the best we can and my doctor is doing everything he can to make me feel somewhat normal again, but at the end we are all in God's hands. I want to thank you all for taking the time out to read my story!!