Stand with Niki in Her Fight for Health

On 6/1 Niki suffered a seizure & a brain aneurism which has left her in the neuro icu ever since. She is going to be out of work for a while & I know that she appreciate your help. Please keep my dear friend in your prayers. This is her story:

Last Saturday, June 1st, I wanted to get the WAngels together to paddle, as usual. Except, this time instead of our normal longer paddle, I really just wanted to Camp chill, paddle and swim! We set up camp at Gunter's Lake Landing, and the original plan was 13 miles, not a long paddle, for Us. But after setting up camp Friday night, we discussed it and decided to really take it easy Saturday and enjoy the weather and the water and cut it down to 8 miles. We took out at Pitts Landing, and shuttled back to camp. That's where we decided to swim before dinner. Honestly, the last thing I remember was loading the boats up at Pitt's Landing. While Robin and I were in the water at Gunter's Lake, she said I looked at her and said something wasn't right, and then I dropped. My bestest friend, caught me, never let my head hit the ground! She said I started seizing and she got me up out of the water where Wayne and Gretchen were there to help. I stopped seizing but then immediately started again and did not stop, Wayne sat on the phone with the ambulance guiding them to The Landing. Everyone at the Landing helped even the little kids fanning me with cardboard! I was taken to Marion, where my son met us there. I was airlifted to MUSC in Charleston, and I had surgery Sunday morning where they put a tube into my head, apparently I had a brain aneurysm burst which caused the seizures. I've been in ICU since, and I'm so grateful to everyone that has reached out to me and shown so much love and support! I've had some okay days and some excruciatingly painful days and nights. Mentally and emotionally I could not handle this without all the support I've gotten! I thought I was very strong, until I woke up in ICU with tubes in me and everyone crying,& me feeling weak & helpless. It's always been hard for me to accept or even ask for help, this is very humbling. I'm so grateful and feel so lucky this happened when it did. We all know I've been on many many paddling hiking camping trips on my own in the middle of nowhere sometimes no signal no help anywhere near. I've gotten so much support and love from all my friends, my family really! I'm so grateful to be alive, I feel like I have a new lease on life and plan to live every moment to the fullest! I'm still not out of the woods yet, but with all the love and receiving positivity I know I will make it out okay. Not to mention that the staff at MUSC Neuro ICU, I've been amazingly incredible and kind and thoughtful and very professional! Could not have asked for more help! I'm still really scared, but also I need to do is look at my phone, or look up to my door opening, and someone is making my heart melt!