Brain: Re: Re: Why is paralyzed?

[Guest guest]

I gave the one family member Dr.Grays contact info. along with many

of the other Dr's that we all know.What happened after that I'm not

sure. They did say,they had a bad experience with one or two of

these Dr's in Texas.

KC

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> >

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> > I wanted to share this story.  They are asking newspapers around

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> the country to publish this letter on January 2.  is

paralyzed

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> and has had many tests, but they can't find a cause.  She has had

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> several genetic tests and all have been negative.   and her

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> family were exposed to toxic mold in their home in 2004.  Maybe

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> that's what caused her paralysis.  Maybe not.  If you have any

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> ideas, please contact her family.

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> > ************ ********* ********* **

>

> > Hi, my name is andria Hermstad but everyone calls me .I

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> have an identical twin sister named Jaci and we are 15 years old.I

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> was always healthy but for almost 4 years now, I have been

fighting

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> an illness that nobody seems to know what it is or why it is

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> happening to me.I live in Storm Lake, Iowa and I am paralyzed.I

have

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> to use a ventilator to breathe through a hole in my throat which

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> sometimes gets plugged and I can't breathe.I cannot swallow food

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> anymore so my diet consists of liquids through a tube in my

stomach.

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> My mind still works fine and I understand everything that is going

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> on around me.I can't speak either, so my mom is helping me to put

my

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> feelings on paper.

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> >

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> > Jaci and I used to love playing sports, riding horses, and

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> snowmobiling. When I turned 11, I began having trouble moving my

left

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> arm.By the end of the year, I could no longer walk..We were told

to

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> leave our house because the cause might be environmental, so we

left…

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> we left everything!Our dog, Gracie, couldn't even come with

us.After

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> 9 months and being in 3 different hospitals, I finally went home.

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> >

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> > Since my illness began, we have met so many caring people.We are

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> very grateful for all those who have reached out and shared

whatever

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> they could give.I am very thankful for those who have tried to

help

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> me.But at the end of each day…I am still here.

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> >

>

> > Many times I want to scream, but I have no voice.Many times I

want

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> to hide away in my room, but I cannot move.

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> > I want to hug my family and tell them I love them, but I can't.

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> >

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> > I can still move a little corner of my mouth to answer " yes "

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> questions.

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> > I can still cry and tears can still roll down my face, but I

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> cannot wipe them away.

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> > It takes a long time to be able to communicate with my

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> parents.Many times it's very frustrating to get my thoughts across

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> and then for someone to understand me.What is more frustrating is

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> why do the doctors and researchers we have written to and who have

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> the capability to help me, choose not to help me – like I don't

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> exist?

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> >

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> > I want to do so much but because I am trapped inside my body, I

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> can't.

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> >

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> > I have been ignored by almost everyone who has the power and

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> knowledge to help me.I used to watch medical mystery shows and was

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> always overwhelmed in seeing how a doctor on the show would come

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> forward and do a little extra to save/help their patient.I don't

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> know why someone won't do that for me…?What I do know is that my

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> illness is " atypical " and not the obvious, which seems to be why

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> doctors are so perplexed, but I can't get their attention to care

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> enough to help me.I just need someone to care.Even Make-A-Wish

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> denied my wish. St. Jude's never even tried to help me. President-

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> Elect Obama met me in my home, took his picture with me and

promised

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> to help me, yet I still wait.My own governor looks the other way.

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> Nearly every national foundation and organization my family writes

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> to responds back saying I don't meet " criteria " .Every major news

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> organization we write to ignores me.They must not believe 5

minutes

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> is worthy of helping to save my

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> > life.Has our society come to the point that celebrities become

a

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> higher priority than rescuing a child with an extremely rare

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> condition?

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> >

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> > Celebrities, foundations, politicians, physicians, hospitals,

and

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> the list goes on, does not find it in their hearts to get back to

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> me. Why? What would you do for your loved one? All I want is

someone

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> with the power and knowledge, to help me.I have been rejected

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> because I don't meet criteria…how sick do I have to get to

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> meet " criteria " ?

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> >

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> > Recently, a local charity has offered me and my family support

by

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> trying to help bring about awareness to my story in hopes it will

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> save my life before it is too late. I am fighting so hard to

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> survive, and even though my voice is silent, I AM SCREAMING ON THE

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> INSIDE TO BE HEARD! PLEASE help me! So many people have told me

they

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> love me and they can show this by contacting everyone they know

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> about me so my voice can be heard. There is strength in

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> numbers.Something as simple as taking a few minutes to send a

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> message to all the people in your mailbox could make a big

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> difference.

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> >

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> > I am also writing big newspapers.I am asking that all newspapers

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> come together for one day to do something that is completely

>

> unprecedented; publish the same letter across the country so that

all

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> may hear my plea, on the same day, January 2nd;a fresh start to

the

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> new year.

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> >

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> > It may only take a few minutes, but sharing my letter with

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> someone, a simple random act of kindness, may very well save my

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> life. Please prayerfully hope that I can celebrate another

birthday…

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> another Christmas…the day I prayed I would get to graduate from

high

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> school.

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> >

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> > But even more- a miracle to share in God's glory.

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> >

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> > I am respectfully and passionately asking people who have the

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> power to move- to move for me.

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> >

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> > I am asking those who have the ability to scream, scream for me.

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> >

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> > I am asking those who have the capacity to talk, to be my voice.

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> >

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> >

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> > Everybody tells me to, " keep fighting " , so I do.I fight

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> relentlessly… each hour of every day.

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> >

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> > Now, I am asking people to fight WITH me and FOR me.

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> >

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> > I don't know why doctors won't help me…will you?

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> >

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> > Last summer, my family began " 's Army " .Will you join 's

>

> Army and help me by contacting my email at:alexsarmy@ ...

suggestions

>

> and your ideas on how you can help me?Hopefully, and prayerfully,

I

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> can find someone who will be willing to help me.

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> >

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> > Those who pray, please pray for me as my faith in God has helped

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> sustain me in this battle.

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> >

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> > Thank you and God Bless

>

> >

>

> >

>

> > Hermstad

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> > www.caringbridge. org/visit/ angelsforalex

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> > http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=Lq6qotHIiCM

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