Wishes and Rainbows Staff

Sharon Greenwell, better known as "Grammy"

I have Arnold Chiari Malformation and Syringomyelia. I was diagnosed eleven years ago, had my first decompression surgery in May of 1991, and spent the next month in and out of the hospital with complications, having a second decompression done in June of the same year. Since then, I have been told I was fine, but I knew differently. In November of 2000, I learned that I now have massive scar tissue growing on my brain, and brain slump, putting pressure on my brain stem and spinal cord.

Although specialized care may not have prevented the situation completely, I believe it could have been caught in time to halt progression years ago.

Specialized care for these conditions is limited, and many times traveling great distances is required. The expenses can be overwhelming, and many times people are forced to decline specialized care because of the financial requirements. No one should suffer needlessly because of financial status, nor risk their own health settling for non-specialized care,

and I want to be able to help make a difference.

Sarah Bates, aka Sarah in Paradise.

I have both Arnold Chiari Malformation (ACM) and Multiple Sclerosis. Living in a rural area, it was difficult to find and access care from specialists who KNEW how to sort my situation out ..... and it became necessary to seek help at distant locations to get to good physicians and care.

I'd had three lumbar surgeries 30 years ago for occult spinal bifida related problems, but had NO clue ACM might be present too. I had limited income (Social Security Disability) and found BIG gaps in what social services I could find and was eligible for. This lead to my desire to support an effort like "Wishes and Rainbows".

It's my strong desire and hope we will be successful in helping assist others needing assistance to travel and care, and help raise funds to do so ....... and make that big difference for those following in our footsteps!

Getting to true specialists is often our best hope to improvement, and the current resources don't often offer help with transportation, housing, food, and other needs related to having to travel. BUT, I know, firsthand, how great the difference in outcomes can be. I hope we can bridge that gap through this endeavor, and make specialist care more feasible.

I've assisted in helping others with children search for resources to get to care, often very frustrating and creating delays to care.

I know this will help tremendously.

Hello. My name is Nadine Sain. Most of the "kids" around here call me "Ma", but just use my first initial (N) and last name (SAIN) to get the name and description in the same thought (NSAIN).

Your physical health is sometimes the root cause of your mental health "leaving the building". Just convincing someone in the medical field that you are hurting could drive you crazy. "It's all in your head" was a phrase used by many doctors when the pain was real to a patient, but absolutely no physical cause could be determined by exams and x-rays. To influence the attitude of doctors and others that have no idea how chronic, consistent pain rules a persons life, could take more than wishes or rainbows.

At twenty-nine, scoliosis was finally the name doctors gave the culprit that haunted my life 24 / 7. After years of making adjustments, I've learned what to do and most important what not to do. Being your own doctor has its drawbacks, but at least you know how you feel.

One of my favorite things is the rainbow. The very concept of the rainbow should inspire people to reach beyond themselves to make a difference.

One of my favorite people is Sharon Greenwell. I only intended to help with the paperwork for this organization, but after knowing some of the personal and financial sacrifices made by Sharon when she could use help herself, I'm totally into "Wishes and Rainbows".

Hi, I'm David Killebrew, Sharon's brother. My involvement in Wishes and Rainbows is the result of my having accompanied Sharon and Daniel to a few doctor's appointments and hospitalizations - some that were incredibly thorough and professional and some that were not. The frustration of dealing with the wrong physicians was exhausting. Through it all Sharon managed to somehow make sense of it all - resulting in the establishment of Wishes and Rainbows. Her sharing of contact information and with the help of her "coharts in crime" brightening some days for a few less fortunates are the bricks of her ministry. I am honored to be able to help in some small way.

My name is Marcy Rogers, and I am honored to be the new secretary for Wishes and Rainbows.

I became aware of Wishes and Rainbows because my grandson suffers from Chiari 1 Malformation. I know how frightening it is to have someone you love go through diagnosing it and then finally having the operations, only to have to go through another operation.

In the beginning, I knew of no one or any foundation to go to for support. Then one day, I was sitting at Nadine's desk, filing our taxes. In a card holder on her desk, I started to read "Chiari 1" "Wishes and Rainbows". I questioned Nadine, "Who do I contact for support?". Nadine said that the foundation was here in McMinnville, TN, she is the treasurer, and Sharon is the President.

I could not believe it! All this time, a support group was right here where I live. What a miracle!! What are the chances of that happening? Help, right in front of my nose.

I contacted my daughter in Parker, CO, and she has been thankful that Wishes and Rainbows exist. Maybe you have seen my grandson: he is that good looking boy in one of the newsletters; his name is Shane Smith.

So, once again, from the bottom of my heart, I am honored to be of any assistance to Wishes and Rainbows. With a lot of guidance from Nadine and Sharon, I hope I can serve the foundation well.

Thankful for Wishes and Rainbows,

Marcy Rogers