Dylan Needs Your Help!
A young mother is seeking the public’s help with medical expenses. Dylan Ysaguirre, a tour guide and entrepreneur, is temporarily paralyzed. It’s caused by a rare disease that has left her unable to do anything for herself. Dylan wants to walk again, but she needs quality healthcare to do so. Being the breadwinner for her family, the bills are piling up and Dylan just wants to get well so that she can get back to work. News Five went to Steadfast Village today on the Stann Creek Valley Road to share Dylan’s story.
Andrea Polanco
This is Dylan Ysagurirre a few weeks ago. Big smile. Full of energy. Always on the go. But today, we met twenty-seven-year-old Dylan confined to a bed. Unable to walk. She’s still upbeat but with a tinge of sadness and worry. On February fourth, Dylan’s life changed in a matter of minutes. She was at her house in Caye Caulker doing the dishes when…
Dylan Ysaguirre, Needs Assistance
“All of a sudden, I feel my left size starting to go paralyzed, like dead. I said I had to think fast because this was a sudden illness and I don’t know what was happening. I rushed myself to the clinic; one person took me up the stairs and next thing I know, five to six guys were carrying me down in a wheel-chair – emergency boat from Caye Caulker to Belize City to the K.H.M.H.”
After a series of medical tests, Dylan was diagnosed with a rare medical condition where a virus is attacking her T-cells, mainly in the spinal column in the neck area. It has left her paralyzed.
Dylan Ysaguirre
“They did two CAT Scans; one with a contrast and one without. They did a spinal tap and then they said that the results were still inconsistent, so they had to do an MRI, the following day.”
Andrea Polanco
“What did that MRI show?”
Dylan Ysaguirre
“Well, the MRI shows that I have a rare disease; called a tropical disease and it only affects only five percent of people who even have it. So, it is very rare. So, basically what this disease does is that it destroys the outer sheath of the nerves; the outer coating of the nerves. So, basically, in my body, my nerves are running around like electricity, all over the place and I constantly feel like it is always jumping around and I can’t control it.”
Andrea Polanco
“Describe to us how this disease has left you?”
Dylan Ysaguirre
“Basically, I can’t walk. I only can move my right hand. My left hand, I can move it but as you can see, the hand itself is dead. I can move my right foot a little bit and also my left foot. I am starting to regain some strength but I still can’t help myself. I have a catheter hooked up to me. I can’t help myself at all.”
But the good news for Dylan is that she can recover from this sickness. The paralysis is temporary, but the illness has caused the onset of other health complications. So, the road to recovery is a long one, from six months to a year. But for her to get well, she needs quality health care. Dylan’s family is hiring a care-giver and they also need thousands of dollars to cover medical bills.
Dylan Ysaguirre
“It is a hundred percent curable. The treatment will be for like two weeks. On the twenty-ninth I go back to the doctor. The journey will be mental and physical because I am the one who has to be regaining my strength and force my body to try to push; exercise and eat healthy. It affects my lungs too, so like my lungs feels like it is sitting inside and when I breathe it only rises three quarter and I can’t get stressed out no more because as soon as I get stressed I start to have an anxiety attack and it makes my oxygen level of the blood goes down and I can’t have blood oxygen level less than ninety-six; so I can’t really stress anymore. It is going to be constant money that we are going to need because six months to a year is a long time to try to recover.”
Andrea Polanco
“So, as a part of your recovery, you will also need to do physical therapy?”
Dylan Ysaguirre
“Yes, I do need to do therapy because I will need to get my strength and as a result of the medicine, I feel my body get swollen and I feel heavy and in pain or I feel burning.”
Today, Dylan’s friend, Lisa Mulcahy, is visiting. She has known Dylan for couple years, so she has set up a GoFund Me account for donations and also asking for the donation of a hospital bed. Mulcahy says he says that it is tough to see her friend suffering.
Lisa Mulcahy, Friend
“I was so surprised because she is such a healthy and vibrant person so I was really shocked. I couldn’t believe they were talking about this because just last year she and I were in poll doing lifeguard training; she was rescuing people and swimming. So, she is a strong swimmer and diver. I was very surprised. She is an amazing person and very strong minded. She is an excellent tour guide and always motivating people and inspiring people. So, to see her in a situation where she can’t do what she loves, I know is really hard on her. One of the big things that we need is a mechanical hospital bed; that is really important for her recovery; also nutritious food and obviously financial help and other bills. If people can help, that can greatly reduce her stress and help her get better sooner.”
Before she got sick, she was the breadwinner for her family. She was a tour guide and also operated a small jewelry business. But now that she is sick, she cannot work. She’s also a single mom of a six-year-old special needs baby boy – those responsibilities are now weighing heavy on her head. And she hopes that the public can assist with her medical bills, so she can get back on her feet and provide for her family.
Dylan Ysaguirre
“It is hard for me because I am very independent person. I don’t believe in having people help me. I am always out there and I tell people I have more than one job. I am a tour guide; an artist; an entrepreneur and I am also a mother of a special needs child. I also have a mother who has back problems and stuff. So, I help her and I also help her to support my son; my son is the main reason why I work. Letting people know that this can happen to anyone. I don’t wish anything on anyone, so I would say take time out to appreciate things around you. Like I said, it affects only five percent of people. It can really happen to anyone.”
Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
If you’d like to help Dylan Ysgauirre, call 660-5747 or 653-0493. You can also make a deposit to Belize Bank Account Number 1-4-3-7-8-1-0-1-0-2-2-0-0-0-1. For those overseas who want to help, you can contribute via a GoFundMe link being shared on Facebook.
