Support for Spine and Brainstem Medical Treatment

In November of 2021, Iliana had an accident that ultimately caused brainstem and spinal injuries. Although there are too many symptoms to list, she’s had a heck of a struggle through this journey, having gone to chiropractors, neurologists, pain management doctors, and neurosurgeons. She only sleeps about three hours a night, and her quality of life has been severely diminished.

She’s had tethered cord surgery and the neurosurgeon discovered that she has cranial cervical instability which is compressing her brainstem and not allowing her spinal fluid to flow properly, causing autonomic dysfunction. Iliana’s brainstem isn’t able to send the proper signals to the rest of her body. In Leyman's terms, this just means that things we normally don't think or worry about like heart rate, temperature regulation, sleep cycles, breathing, and digestion all have been weakened and diminished. Among the many treatments her doctors have tried, the pain management team inserted a spinal stimulator in an effort to relieve her pain, which unfortunately did not succeed.

She spends most of her days and nights in bed. She can only walk for moments at a time and sits very infrequently.

Iliana’s husband, Jesus, is her rock. He has been a huge support system for her during this difficult journey. He helps around the home doing daily tasks; he cooks, does laundry, and takes her to her doctor's visits.

Iliana has been on strong prescription medication for the pain, but the ultimate goal is to receive the proper treatment to ween off of these drugs. The past two years have been very hard financially. With the ever-mounting medical bills and the need for specialty doctors and treatments (not covered by insurance), they’ve been forced to max out all of their credit cards and find creative ways to survive the financial blow. The need to travel occasionally to see the neurosurgeon is also difficult as they are located in a different state. Because of the delicate nature of her injuries, this is one of only a handful of specialists experienced in the type of medical condition she is suffering from.

Any little bit helps, and it makes a striking impact on the lives of those who are struggling with such an unexpected challenge. Please share the link with your friends and family.

Iliana has always loved life and loved spending quality time with her family, friends, and community. We all pray for her to feel better again, and in a community effort to lend a hand, we have set up this fund in her name. Life is a gift, and health is the most precious faculty that we have...without that, we have nothing.