My name is Jaime Marie Revel. I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, aka EDS, (a series of connective tissue disorders that effect the collagen, the glue that holds a person together, throughout the body). In 2014, I had 2 surgeries that saved my life. One was posterior fossa decompression and the other was craniocervical fusion from my skull down to C2. It also consisted of half of my 8th rib for added support. My next cervical fusion was a year later. It was done from the front of my neck at C4-5. The disc between C4-5 was removed and bone was put in its place. Both of these fusion were extremely sturdy. EDS is relentless. Further instability developed between fusions and below. I had to have revision of my fusion on July 21, 2020 to remedy this problem. The new fusion connected my skull with 6 vertebrae. At about 5 or 6 weeks post, I tripped while taking my service dog out to potty. I fell forward catching myself with one hand on our gate. Symptoms instantly worsened. At 8 weeks post op, I had a flexion/extension MRI to make sure everything was okay. The next day, my neurosurgeon viewed my xrays. When I tripped, I knocked my C6 vertebra loose from my fusion. When I move around or lean the least bit, my vertebra is slipping out. This is causing an immense amount of pain. I have severe nerve pain in my shoulders and between my shoulder blades in my upper back. I have tingling and loss of sensation from just above the bend in my arm, in to my 3 middle fingers. My pinky fingers go numb. My grip is weak. I am also loosing sensation in both my legs. Sometimes I can’t control them or my arms very well. I fall. Breathing is a little bit taxed. My autonomic system is affected. I’m really struggling and I just want to get better. In order to do so, my neurosurgeon says I need to travel back to Maryland for another surgery to repair this. We are currently in the process of determining which surgery is best suited for me. We would either go in the front of my neck and change my C4-5 plate to a C4-6 plate OR we would go in the back and instead of going from my skull to C6, we would go further down and anchor to either T1 or 2. There are 7 cervical vertebrae and then the thoracic region, upper back begins. I still have to have a CT and talk to my neurosurgeon again to decide which approach we will be doing. He wants me to do this within the next 2 weeks but there is no way I can do it in 4 weeks, less on 2 weeks. I’m shooting for 4 weeks in hopes things will be possible by then and I know my body will definitely not hold out passed that point. Waiting that long in itself frightens me. I will require travel expenses to Maryland. I will need room and board while there. We will have to have food. I will possibly need a babysitter for my service dog due to Covid 19 restrictions not permitting a dog to stay. My husband will have to be with me so he can’t watch her either. Depending on the extent of the surgery, I will have to stay anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks after surgery before I can make the trip home. I will need the surgery deposit. This is a hard hit because I am just over 2 months post op and had just returned home from 3 weeks stay in Maryland. I have had numerous surgeries and each one gets more difficult for my body to heal from. I am humbly asking for your help to make this trip and surgery possible so I can hopefully pause these surgeries for a bit. I want so much to just enjoy my life with those I love while I can. I just desperately need this surgery. I will post updates along the way so you can see my progress through it all. Without your help, I cannot do this. Every dollar gets me a little closer to having this surgery and healing. I also appreciate any prayers, positive energy, or good vibes you can send me. It really means a lot.