Help?

BrittanyYoungx

• I was born on May 16, 1991 via a planned C-section. I was born with Spina Bifida, affected by it from L4-S1. Doctors said I wouldn't live; but if I did I wouldn't walk, wouldn't talk... The list goes on and on. Well, I was gifted the ability to walk after all. At five days old, I had my first operation where they put the spinal cord back in its rightful place. All was well until I was five years old. I had another spinal cord operation due to a tethered cord. This is very common among people with SB; essentially what happens is scar tissue wraps itself around the spinal cord and strangles it. So they go in and shave it off. I'd go on to live a "regular" kids' life but with the struggles of a disabled kid. I could walk, talk, run, ride a bike and play; but I had a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff going on as well. I was born without the feeling in my right foot and it was broken half of my life; I literally spent half of my life in a cast or a brace. It's still broken, in fact. I don't have an ankle joint because all of the little bone fragments from various breaks fused together.

I would go on to have another operation when I was eight years old; SB related but not on the spine. After that, I would have a decent amount of time before my next surgery. Another tethered cord operation happened when I was in the 7th grade - 2004. Another routine thing. No problem! From the years 2004-2011, my life was a living Hell on Earth. I started losing sensation in my legs and a lot of strength as well. We all assumed it was the tethered cord and that it was about time for another one to see what was going on. Sure enough, it was indeed tethered cord. But they found a new diagnosis: Arachnoiditis. This caused them to close my back immediately as it just gets worse with meddling. If you're getting where this is going, well done: I cannot have another spinal cord operation no matter what starts happening. The incision dehisced and that took over a year to heal, mom said you could place a golf ball inside and my back would still be flat to the touch. Now that is one massive hole. With all of the tethered cord, loss of sensation, open incision and loss of strength; I was placed in my first wheelchair in 2006, after my last operation.

I did what I do best after that. I fought. It took me until 2011 to regain some strength to be able to walk again, but I would never recover the sensation. In fact, it's only gotten worse since then. I have gone from no feeling in my right foot, to my legs, to my waist and now it's crawling up into my chest. Still, I could walk again. I began to coach football (soccer) as a volunteer at a local club here and lost over 50 pounds. I weighed 247 pounds while in the wheelchair (I really just didn't care) and now am down to 184. Pretty impressive for a self-proclaimed cripple. After two seasons, I moved on to volunteering at my old elementary school because I needed something to do and the club didn't have a team for me. It was great! This was last year. I got to revisit my childhood, meet new teachers and kids and be reunited with some of my old teachers as well. This school year, I'm volunteering (when I can) in my old Kindergarten teacher's last year. She's retiring at the end of this school year; June. It's a huge bummer for me. In September of 2014, my brother and I completed the Hit & Run 5k. What a MASSIVE achievement! In October of 2014, my foot began to form what we all thought was a contracture. Basically, the foot draws up and folds in half. I've had these before and they only lasted a few days. But now it's December and I am still having issues with my foot. Someone on Twitter was kind enough to grant me the money to get a knee crutch so I could painlessly walk and do my volunteering.

It was working; for a short amount of time. Things are now just getting worse. I saw the neurologist last week and he has ordered two MRIs. One on the cervical spine and the other on the thoracic spine. He suspects there may be a new diagnosis called Brown-Séquard Syndrome. Meaning that there may be a tumor or cyst somewhere on the spinal cord. That would explain the sudden loss of feeling that is above my Spina Bifida level. Though, nothing is for sure yet. I go in for that on the 17th of December. In 2006, when I first began losing strength in my legs; I would fall randomly. The legs would just give out on me with no warning at all. It's now 2014, and the same thing is happening now. Medium distance walking causes great weakness and pain in my foot. Because I'm favoring it, the pain is now in my hips and knees as well. It's absolutely devastating. I am slowly coming to the conclusion that I will have to get back in a wheelchair once more.

Here lies a problem: the old one is not fitted correctly. The back is not right, the footplates were never right and since I've lost the weight; it's even too big. In order to get a new chair fitted for me, I'd have to pay for it myself because Medicare won't pay for one. It's close to $4-5,000 and I can honestly say that I have never even seen that kind of money; unless you count the movies and TV. I would have to raise it somehow, and if this keeps progressing as fast and as painful as it has these past three months, I'm going to need it very soon. I'm at a loss for words. Just when you think you're rising up... You fall back down again.

• Most people have heard of skateboarding, BMX and even Motocross. There is a fairly new sport out there for disabled people. It's called Wheelchair MX. It's a lot like BMX; there are tricks, ramps, etc. to do but you're in a wheelchair instead of on a bike or even a skateboard. Of course, in order to do the sport you need the wheelchair that would do the job without getting beat up or broken! At BOX Wheelchairs, they make custom chairs for those interested in the sport. Most get started in the sport very young, in fact the youngest competitor is just 18 months old. I'm 23-years-old but do feel I can give it a go! I come from a poor family and have set up a GoFundMe account in order to raise the funds to get a new wheelchair that will fit far better than the one I own now and that can be used for both daily and WCMX use.

If you could donate even $1, it would help me reach my goal. While it doesn't have a deadline, it would make an amazing Christmas present if I could raise the money and get the building started. If you can't donate, please just share the word for me. That will also help me raise my goal.

GoFundMe: http://www.gofundme.com/WCMX_B

If anyone would mind sharing the link on social media I would greatly appreciate it. I desperately need the new chair. If you can donate, that would be GREAT! I have $10.00 so far... $4,990 to go!