Hi there! Bethany here. This summer will mark seventeen years since my mom, Mariana, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She has battled it in many ways and by the grace of God, she continues to come out on the other side. 

I'll attempt to quickly summarize where the disease has progressed to. Mariana is now in the primary progressive stages of multiple sclerosis, which only 15% of people are diagnosed with. She is a quadreplegic, who still can feel when someone holds her hand/touches her leg/etc; but she has no use of her extremeties. She gets around in a power chair that is driven by others. She has a ostoemy bag, following a bowel perferation that resulted in a colectomy, and she also has a suprapubic catheter. There are muscle spasms, memory lapses, confusion, difficulty processing information...

I could go on, but I'll stop there to say that obviously her medical acuity is high. Care is required twenty-four/seven, and there is always someone with her. While my dad was still working, we had various sitters over the years care for her, many who Mom adored and vice versa, and we've kept that routine up now that Dad is retired. The majority of the caretaking load falls on Dad, who has his own health issues from so many years of intense caretaking and who's body is breaking down more and more.

Last Friday, Mariana had a routine procedure to replace the pain pump that helps reduce the intensity of her muscle spasms. Upon arriving home, there was an accident that resulted in the breaking of her left femur. Surgery was done to correct it, and she was sent home Monday, only to return Wednesday. Sepsis and a UTI combined to mess with all the things (fever, blood pressure, blood sugar, pulse ox, white blood cell count, etc). 

ALL THAT TO SAY!

We are so thankful that Mom went 18 months without any hospital visits. We appreciate the many fervent prayers that have been and are being lifted up. But before we find ourselves in a Summer of 2021 situation again (IYKYK), I wanted to create this page to provide y'all with ways to get updates and see options to provide us with tangible help. 

As God has shown us time and time again, He isn't done with Mom's journey here on earth. She continues to ask each person she encounters if they know and love Jesus, and it always creates an oppertunity for us to share about His faithfulness. She finds a strength and bravery in Him that can only be described as supernatural. 

"But as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge and placed my trust in Him, That I may tell of all Your works." ~ Psalms 73:28