The Okumura Family Needs Our Help!

Many of you may not know this, but Whitney has had significant and ongoing health problems since March 2021. Her husband, Rob, took an unpaid leave of absence from his job as a firefighter and stepped up as full-time caretaker for Whitney and their two young sons, Owen (8) and Oliver (4).

However, the time has come for Rob to return to work. He has a very long commute, long work hours, and an unusual schedule, so Whitney and the boys desperately need help. They do not have family or a reliable support network nearby, and have immediate needs that they cannot take care of on their own.

All funds raised through this GoFundMe will go toward:

Here is what the past few years have been like for the Okumuras:

Whitney has been on thyroid medication for close to a decade because she has Hashimoto’s disease. She has also been on hormone replacement therapy since 2019, when she had a hysterectomy after finding a tumor the size of a basketball on one of her ovaries and a cancerous tumor on her appendix.

In March 2021, she had a series of seizure-like episodes that landed her in the hospital. The doctors there found that her thyroid was severely suppressed and the dose of medication she was on for her Hashimoto’s was much too high. Her endocrine system was also being affected by the incorrect dosage, which sent her health into a downward spiral.

She began having daily episodes, developed a tremor, couldn't see clearly, couldn't walk normally, had a high resting heart rate, and high blood pressure. She spent several months bedridden, unable to eat real food and feeling constantly nauseous. She couldn't tolerate light, sound, or motion and couldn't sleep for more than 30-60 minutes at a time. She developed static in her vision, felt like she lived on a rocking boat, and had very little control over her muscles. Just standing upright would make her out of breath. Most days, Rob had to help her eat, help her use the bathroom, and help her shower.

She was hospitalized again earlier this year, and was told by the doctors that she needed complex care due to suspected autonomic dysfunction, ME/CFS.

She is on a waitlist to see a doctor at Stanford, but they have no availability until April 2023. She is also on a waitlist for the Center for Complex Diseases.

Rob took off work in April 2021 and was able to use leave to stay home and care for Whitney and their boys until October 2021. He then took a year-long unpaid leave of absence, which runs out this month. As Whitney is still not back to where she wants or needs to be, they will have to hire someone to care for both her and their children. This type of work is not cheap (nor should it be!), so any monetary help people can offer would be truly life-saving for them.

As you might have guessed, they have also been under severe financial strain for the past 1.5 years. Between lost wages and medical bills, their needs in this area are ongoing. Unfortunately, this journey is far from over.

Whitney and Rob would like to thank you so much for taking the time to read this. It’s not easy for them to share their struggles or ask for help, but they can no longer do this alone.