Support Hanna’s journey with ALS

Hello Community,

We--Chelsea, Kelly, and Alysia--are asking for your help to support our dear friend Hanna Martinez. Hanna is going through a very hard time and she needs her beloved community to help.

If you have met Hanna, you know how big her heart is, and you'd also know that she is someone who has devoted her life to service and helping others. Her service and work in this community has been profound and influential through many modalities--including yoga, mediation, women's circles, astrology, massage, and energy work. As a home-school mom herself she has also been very involved in supporting other homeschoolers within our community as well.

Hanna has always been a very active person with a daily yoga practice, hiking with her dog and family, dancing, and previously ran multiple half marathons. About 9 months ago she began having symptoms of unsteadiness and strange imbalances. Hiking, walking her dog, and playing with her three kids all started to become an intense struggle. It takes such a tremendous amount of focus and energy to not fall that she has recently been forced to significantly slow down. Hanna has recently dove into a deeper education to help herself heal through diet, additional exercise and specific physical training independently to attempt to repair any inflammation or injury that she thought may have been causing this decline. Over time she has developed a limp and is currently unable to run, jump, balance or walk well.

Hanna has begun testing to try and isolate the present issue, and at this point in time it looks to be neurological. There are many ways that this could go, and she is trying to stay hopeful. However, the doctors that she is working with are recommending that she seek out specialized treatment in order to get a proper diagnosis and then begin her path towards healing. These treatments will require her to travel outside of our community, likely to Stanford, and all of that will be incredibly expensive. As the excessive amount of bills begin rolling in, there is a fear and stress creeping in that is no doubt going to inhibit her ability to continue understanding, uncovering, and trying to find resolve for her health.

Hanna is unable to work at this time, and her loving husband Marcel is a local photographer in the area and taking as many jobs as he can. The stress of incoming bills has become overwhelming. They are doing all that they can as a family to make ends meet.

Please consider donating to help Hanna and the Martinez family afford proper care to support her healing. Hanna is not the type of person to reach out and ask for financial help, although she is humbly receiving support at this time for her and her family.

Thank you for your consideration and support!

With deep gratitude,

Chelsea, Kelly, and Alysia