Christine R Gettys

The Pursuit of Function: A Journey of Independence for Chris

To understand Chris’s story is to see a life defined by sixty years of successful adaptation. Born with Cerebral Palsy (CP), Chris has always met the world with a “can-do” spirit. However, a pivotal surgery in 2017 marked a transition into a more complex, structural reality: a high-level spinal cord Injury.

The Transition Home

So far in 2026, Chris has navigated two major hospitalizations and two intensive inpatient rehab stays. She is currently completing her time at Sheltering Arms Institute, working systematically to bridge the gap between the hospital and her home. By using specialized tools like WalkOn Reactive Braces for stability, she has spent her time in rehab utilizing robotic systems to push her physical boundaries:

Vector Gait System: a ceiling mounted harness used to unweight the body to strengthen her core and build the respiratory endurance necessary to manage her high-level injury

The Diego Robotic Arm: A suspension system that supports her arm so she can practice the fine-tuned reaching needed for daily life and engaging with her grandchildren.

Chris’s most heartfelt goal is to remain an active wife, mother, and grandmother and to participate in her community. As she prepares to leave the hospital, your support through Help Hope Live provides the scaffolding for her new life in three specific areas:

1. Managing the “Mountain” of Debt: The search for specialists and the intensity of recent clinical crises have created a mountain of medical debt. Helping Chris clear this debt isn’t just about a balance sheet; it ensures she maintains uninterrupted access to the specialized medical team that manages her stability.

2. Providing Home Health Care: The spinal injury she has requires professional clinical oversight. While Chris’s family is her emotional bedrock, the technical requirements of her daily care require the support of a Home Health Agency. These skilled caregivers are the essential link that keeps Chris safe, healthy, and at home rather than in an institution.

3. Safety in Motion (Van Securement): Because Chris lacks internal core stability, her wheelchair-accessible van needs an updated, high-level securement system. This is a vital equipment goal that ensures every trip to the doctor or out into the community is safe and trauma-free for her spine.

A Future Built on Faith

Accepting the invasion of privacy that comes with professional care has been an arduous process. In January, Chris struggled with the raw reality of needing a permanent catheter, commenting that it “felt like a bridge too far.” There is a deep grief in adjusting to a life where your most basic, private needs require the help of others.

Yet, Chris credits her faith and the support of people invested in her wellbeing for helping her move through these difficult changes. She is profoundly thankful to her church and community organizations that provided the initial “scaffolding” of her care—from a sit-to-stand device to the WalkOn Reactive Braces that support her mobility. This campaign is the continuation of that mission.

This is a Living Campaign – Your tax-deductible donations to Help Hope Live allow Chris to transition home with the dignity and support she deserves so she can continue to say, “I am still here.”

For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.

Thank you for your support!