UPDATE, June 6, 2019 / It’s Spinal CSF Leak Awareness Week!
As Colleen and her family recover, the Tyrrell Foundation works to raise funds for research with your help. The Spinal CSF Leak Foundation has been running stories like Colleen’s all week of individuals who suffer from leaks. A wide range of neurological symptoms complicate diagnosis. Symptoms include but are not limited to: fatigue, headaches, nausea, vertigo and dementia. Leaks may be misdiagnosed due to a lack of awareness and clinical research. Read more powerful stories like Colleen’s here.
Help us fund research by donating to The Tyrrell Foundation.
- Read here about where we directed 2018 donations to the Tyrrell Foundation – research with Duke University and The Barrow Institute.
- Donate here to the Tyrrell Foundation for 2019 research grants through the DuPage Foundation.
With Love and Gratitude,
The Tyrrell Foundation
UPDATE, Feb., 15, 2019 / An update from Colleen Tyrrell Llacsa; research grants through the Tyrrell Foundation in partnership with the DuPage Foundation and Spinal CSF Leak Foundation:
Hello Friends and Family,
I am forever thankful for all that you have done and continue to do for me. The cross I have had to carry has crushed me at times, and it is important to know that you have helped to lessen that load. I try to avoid focusing on the past physical and psychological suffering because it is difficult and unfortunately, I am still not well.
Although hesitant, I made the decision to be open about my spinal fluid leak because I had to raise awareness. I will not accept the possibility that this cannot be solved and that I have to put my own feelings aside for my children, my family and the thousands of people who suffer silently without progress or solutions. Knowing first hand how this impacted every aspect of my life and my family’s life, I can not be silent.
Last Jan/Feb, we thought it may be the beginning of the end to my life. I felt that I could no longer go on and despite my deep love for my children, I had no fight left in me and no will to survive. I laid flat in bed for days and my bed became my prison. I would watch hours, days, seasons pass and overhear my children asking what happened to me.
Last year began with me taking an emergency flight home from Florida after taking a long drive down to give our kids a break, a vacation, and a sense of joy. Within 2 days of arrival, I developed a blood infection and had to make the difficult decision to leave them all behind and get on the first flight home for medical help. After I got back to Chicago, I was admitted to the hospital and was so ill that I was having hallucinations for days. I remember very little but I remember seeing lots of doctors, hearing them call code, shaking on the bed and later realizing that I missed my son’s birthday for the 3rd time. I left the hospital on methadone and spent weeks in bed. It was almost one full year ago that I stood up, began to cut my meds, and began hoping that I would get better.
Today I am better, but I am still in pain. I still cannot care for my kids alone and I still cannot work. I am far from living my “normal” life, but I am better because I am not confined to bed 24 hours a day and feel somewhat freed from that aspect of this condition.
My doctor at Duke believes that the spinal from my c-section punctured thru my entire dura and created a hole in my dura that covers the front of my spinal cord. Many experts believe I am dealing with the aftermath of what happened to me and subsequently, that I am suffering from rebound high pressure. My body was trying to compensate for losing brain fluid all of those years and now that I am not leaking my brain continues to make too much spinal fluid. This overcompensation causes fatigue, intense neck pain and other neurological symptoms.
For reasons unknown, this has gotten worse not better over time. There is no cure for this illness, only medications, but in order to fully heal the brain needs to self regulate on its own. I have come to learn that there are never answers to my questions. No one can tell me how long it will last, if it will cause another leak or if I will ever be able to wake up get dressed and live a normal life without these disabling symptoms.
What I do know is that because of my suffering, I have learned so much about people. People have amazed me in so many ways. There was incredible support from our friends and family who spent months organizing a huge event for us so that we could raise money to have the care that our children require and deserve. I have learned the strength of my family, our friends, and the community. They not only helped me, but dared to see the bigger picture–realizing that I suffered from a condition for which no research exists.
Without research, I may never fully recover and that I am one of many. Life is not always what you hope. Dreams can be crushed, hearts broken, but in the depths of that hell, there is hope in people who come together to help others. I never thought I would be on this side of that story.
I am so thankful for all of you who have chosen to shine the light on a devastating disease and sticking with me and my family and the Tyrrell Foundation. The Tyrrell Foundation has not only become a reality but it has already shown its strength–helping to fund the 2nd ever CSF Leak Symposium in CA last October, allowing experts from across the globe to meet to begin to address this disease. We have also been blessed with some amazing angel donors, with the support of the DuPage Foundation, to contribute to three research grants. We are just getting started.
To donate to ongoing research efforts, click and select Tyrrell Foundation:
https://dupagefoundation.org/donate.html
Learn more about these research grants:
https://spinalcsfleak.org/research-grants-awarded-in-2018/
With Gratitude,
Colleen and Family
UPDATE, April 29, 2018
Dear Friends and Family,
Wishing you a blessed Sunday! Here are a couple highlights from Colleen on the most recent blogpost. To read more from her, please visit:
https://medium.com/@tyrrellfamilyfoundation/update-from-colleen-a3fe287aadef
“I know one thing is true: I would have never ever made it this long without my amazing family, friends and community. It simply was way to much for one person to carry on their own. I want you all to know that many times throughout the day, I think of you and all you did for me and my family.”
With gratitude and love to all of you,
Katie Tyrrell Weimann
Shining purple across North America, #Leak Weak 2018 runs March 4-10, 2018
UPDATE, March 4, 2018
Dear Friends and Family,
It is Leak Awareness week across North America. Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support for Colleen Tyrrell Llacsa and her family. Currently, there is no cure for Colleen but palliative care medicine is helping her to maintain a quality of life these past few weeks. It has been a blessing to see her up and about.
We will never give up hope for a cure for Colleen and others who suffer from this debilitating illness. The Tyrrell Family Foundation was started to continue to raise awareness and support efforts for education and research in the medical field. We started this blog for you to keep up with Colleen’s story and our efforts.
With Gratitude,
Special event to raise awareness for Cerebral Spinal Fluid Leak research
The public is welcome to join friends and family from 6PM to 9PM on Thurs., Aug. 17, 2017, in the Pavilion at Meson Sabika to raise funds for Colleen Tyrrell Llacsa’s family and to heighten awareness for Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF) Leak research.
“For over two years, Colleen has been fighting the devastating effects of a CSF Leak,” said Katie Tyrrell Weimann. “Because of her condition, Colleen is unable to work, and requires assistance to care for herself and her three children.”
Weimann continued, “The mounting medical bills, including travel expenses to see medical experts, as well as childcare costs, have left Colleen and Jahary emotionally and financially devastated. Although we remain hopeful that she will eventually recover, the prognosis is uncertain at best. Colleen, Jahary and their children need our support.”
Every reservation includes tapas, two drink tickets and a donation to the family. Donations to the Llacsa family are not tax-deductible. Donations for CSF Leaks research are tax-deductible.
Tickets may also be reserved for $100 per person via mail. Make checks payable to: Naperville Bank & Trust. Please include Colleen Tyrrell Llacsa in the memo line. Mail to: Naperville Bank & Trust 555 Fort Hill Dr. Naperville, IL 60540. Attn: Estela Cefali.
