Glennelle's Story

I am writing on behalf of my good friend Glennelle. I met Glennelle many years ago at church. She was a young, single mother who was working hard to earn her nursing degree and begin her career to better support her family. Her dreams shattered in 2005 when she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). As many are aware, MS is a degenerative disease that affects the myelin sheaths, the protective lining of the nerves. There are varying degrees of MS and unfortunately Glennelle’s disease has been progressive and caused a constant, slow decline in her ability to control her muscles. Due to this, Glennelle is now wheelchair bound and daily tasks such as getting ready in the morning and cooking are extremely difficult and painful for her. She is unable to drive and even if she could, she has no vehicle. She is dependent on Metrolift for transportation which usually means scheduling really far in advance and long wait times for her to get anywhere. She is a mother of 4 children, the youngest of which is only 7 years of age. She also takes care of her mother who has complex medical needs. She recently lost her job and has been diligently looking for a job for the last few months. Sadly, she has been unable to find anyone willing to hire her due to her condition.

Through all of this Glennelle’s faith is unwavering. She trusts in God her father to provide for her and her family and encourages others she meets along her path. Glennelle is always lifting others up, sharing her faith in God, and remains faithful in the face of so many challenges. When you ask her how she is doing, she says “I’m blessed and I’m trusting God know s best”. She has blessed my life and the life of so many others as she courageously faces her every day and the future, which will likely lead to further health decline. These funds would go toward a very deserving woman and family if she is chosen. There would be lots of tears of joy and maybe a wheelchair dance that would put all other wheelchair dances to shame. I can already see it now.