Back in April, we met an inspiring campus celebrity, Bree Dunkel. She courageously told us her life story and about her daily struggles living with Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy.
If you missed that article, you can find it here.
Well, for this Part II Celeb Special, we caught back up with Bree and learned about some really exciting news!
Just a few months ago, Bree was approved as a candidate for a neurosurgery called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy. With this surgery, Bree will be permanently rid of the problems that come with having this kind of cerebral palsy and will be able to walk better and have a much better quality of life.
This is life-altering news for Bree and she couldn’t be happier!
The surgery will take place on February 20th, 2015 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
The surgery, however, won’t be an easy one. Following the surgery there will be a 2-3 week start in the hospital recovering and several months of intense therapy, meaning she will have to take a leave of absence from work and college for the time being. Bree, as we all know, is a trooper and is ready to face this adventure head on.
All of Bree’s family and friends have been through-the-roof supportive and will be by her side every step of the way. Numerous events and fundraisers have been set up and held in Bree’s honor.
She has created a Go Fund Me site where you can lean more about Bree’s upcoming surgery and donate to her cause.
You can also follow Bree step-by-step through the blog she will be writing throughout her journey.
This is what Bree had to say about her upcoming experience:
“I’ve gone through all the emotions throughout this process. The excitement was overwhelming when I first found out about the surgery, happiness set in when I set an official date, and now the closer I get to surgery the more nervous I get. My nerves are at an all time high, but there is still that hint of excitement in the back of my mind.”
We wish the best of luck to Bree.