Where do I start? I began this campaign a year ago. I had to watch the mother of my three beautiful children ache and cry out in pain most nights in the beginning. I still see tears well up in her eyes because she can’t pick up our two youngest children.
I am a husband with a mission to help my wife in every way possible. I am relentlessly praying for a miracle in some fashion and I have turned to FundTheFirst in hopes that someone may see this and might be willing or able to help in some regard.
My wife and I both know that God ultimately has a plan set out for our lives that we ultimately don’t understand and that this issue is a trial and is for a season, but the pain and discomfort she is in is unbearable at times and is unbearable for a husband to witness.
I can’t help her condition physically or aid in her body’s recovery. Since what she has is in her neuromuscular and central nervous system. Our insurance does not cover all the care/treatment she needs and the medical bills continue to build (receiving phone calls for inability to pay). I work upwards of 56 hours per week between a regular job and a side job doing Uber and Lyft unit 4am some nights just trying to make our ends meet.
I’ve even went so far as to try and contact The Dave Ramsey show in hopes of receiving financial advice and getting guidance from him but, I have yet to speak to anyone personally.
My wife has been diagnosed with a seemingly rare malformation of her upper cervical spine at the base of her skull that pinches and irritates nerves, she also has Tarlov cyst in her upper, mid and lower spine. She is also dealing with the devastating blow of being poisoned with an MRI contrasting agent known as Gadolinium (the same as Chuck Norris’s wife).
She has even reached out to Gena Norris for advice and guidance about her life moving forward with this poisoning issue. She has even attempted to try and turn her situation into somewhat of a vlog ministry for others out there by way of a YouTube channel (Hem of His Garment).
I admire her strength and her will but, as a husband all I can utterly do is sit back, pray and attempt to financially support a family of 5. Again, we are here just to try and see if people can help in any way....May God bless anyone who reads all the way through this description and if you aren’t able to donate at all...please just simply place my wife (Erin Shackelford) on your prayer list and let us know. Thank You and May God Bless You!!
Updates
So this is now what my 5 year old does. She doesn’t eat without mommy. She doesn’t go to bed without mommy telling her goodnight and she tries to spend every waking moment with her.
this picture is her sitting outside of a sauna while mommy detoxes and tries to get the poison out of her body as well as trying to calm her nerve pain. She sets as content as possibly imaginable for a 5 year old watching her mommy sweat out her boo boos. She now at 5 years old has become a little motivational speaker to mommy telling her she will get better. Telling her mommy that God is going to help her and telling mommy that she will get better with Gods help.
Guys, I hate to say this, but sometimes my 5 year old has more faith and spirit than what her own parents have. She is one really AMAZING child and I pray that me and my wife are able to continue to raise her together....more or less this is an update about a really amazing daughter and the love of a child for their parent...
signed - a heart aching husband & one proud daddy
This is something a young mother should never have to go through or endure. After taking pain medication and everything she was still in unbearable pain and need to try and relieve pressure on her lower half. She has tried in vain to go to chiropractors and functional medical doctors but, this at the moment seems to help. All the while my 5 year old prayed with mommy and asked for help with her homework. I tried to help but in the words of a five year old “mommy does it better”.
Folks this is stuff we/ she is dealing with on a daily basis and we aren’t trying to be victims of circumstances but, this sucks!!
So, last night was one of the hardest yet. As I watched my wife lay on the couch because she can no longer lay in our bed, she cried herself to sleep. As I sat there beside her I felt numb, just as numb and pain ridden as she. I had been trying to rub pain relieving tiger balm all down her back and legs just to give a moment of relief for her pain and to try and sleep to no avail. Our children cried for their mother I cried for my wife and my wife cried out in pain. I can do nothing more as a husband and I feel hopeless, useless,
and just utterly lost.
I don’t try and say these things to insight anyone into giving or to donate or to have a pity party for me and my family. However, I try to post these updates and keep everyone informed because people need to know what the true side effects of gadolinium are and what it does to the human body.
I am finding out as I go along that this contrasting agent can seriously adversely affect someone’s body (nerves the most) to the point of debilitation. And possible kidney failure which can lead to death (slowly). In the case of my wife she is where she is at the moment and cannot go any further in her journey or treatment right now and is simply on God’s time and ultimately His path.
Again, I don’t know what else to do I don’t know what else to say and there is no course of action to take legally in any of these matters. It just sucks!!!!
This was yet another night spent in the ER. This was yet another night that was stolen from a mother. We were not able to be with our kids all evening but, I was able to be at my wife’s side in the ER during these “unprecedented” times. Guys, this sucks!
Seeing her in immense amounts of pain is unbearable for me to watch. Being a Christian, a lover, a father, and a friend is my life‘s goal. I have now however had to switch gears a bit and become the support, the Help, and the coach. The amount of pain physically and mentally that she is going through is something that I’ve never experienced, not even in my deployments overseas.
She is most certainly and quite possibly the strongest woman I’ve ever met in my life!! To watch her be in unbearable pain and yet take care of our three children while I am at work is a feat that I know nothing about. Folks, I pray that her message is spread, shared and just prayed for.
I thank you for just taking the time to read this and may God Bless you and your family during this Christmas season! The good lord has most certainly blessed me with one heck of a fighter!! Love you all!!
I encourage her as much as I possibly can and encouraged her to make this video and allow people to see/hear about her side.
Donations & Comments
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donated $100
donated $200
Reply from Cade Shackelford3 years agoAllison, I’m sure this was you! I thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts!! I know this campaign has been up for quite some time and we are of course thousand short of our goal. But we have taken in stride on by month each challenge that is to be overcome. I thank you so much for your donation with the holidays coming up because it does help and it means a lot coming from someone so close in the community. All I ask is that you maybe share our campaign. Thank you for your prayers as well and God bless you!!
donated $100
God bless your wife and beautiful family! We will put you all on our church prayer list and look forward to prayers being answered. Remember that God is in control and we just need to keep the faith! Love to you all!
Reply from Cade Shackelford3 years agoThank you so so much Robert and Barbra!! Your love and donation is a testament to your heart and faith. We truly are praying for a miracle, but we know that out of this trial something amazing is going to happen!! God Bless you and THANK YOU!! Also, if you will please share on whatever social media source you may have and just share your love. Again, God Bless you and thank you!!
Looking forward to hearing of a rapid & blessed recovery - Merry Christmas y'all - Phil & Brenda
Reply from Cade Shackelford3 years agoWe love you guys so much and miss the Lexington area a little too, but this year isn’t what we ever expected! It’s been one gut punch after another. Your donation Phil is a testament to your’s and Brenda’s heart! Again, we love you guys and miss you! Thank you so so so much and God bless you all!
Wishing your wife and your family some relief. You're very brave to reach out and ask for support. It's a difficult thing to do, and you've done it with dignity.
donated $250
Sending prayers
Reply from Cade Shackelford3 years agoTim, I want to thank you so much for your love and support of my wife and our family! Your expression of love and support for us (an absolute stranger) is a testament of your heart! We pray that you are blessed much in the same way that you have blessed us sir. Again, “Troy” your love is prayed over and much needed at the moment. If you can sir please share via whatever network or social media you are possibly allowed to help aid in getting her message out there. Again, thank you so so much and may God Bless you during this Christmas season! Love you!!
Your cause was forwarded to me by Military / LE friends of mine. Good luck, my thoughts are with you and your family. Brian Mahar
Reply from Cade Shackelford3 years agoBrian, I can NOT thank you enough for what you have done and for your love and support. What you have done for my wife is a testament of what your heart truly holds. I pray that your life is a display of this. Also, we pray that you are blessed much the same way as you have blessed us. Sir, if you kindly can please share our message via whatever network/social media possible. Again thank you for your love and support and for being the man that you are! May God bless you in this season!
Non-Donor Comments
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Cade, so glad I came across this! I know it’s not much but during the holiday anything helps! Will be praying for your wife! -Patriot Barber Shop 🇺🇸