MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – At first, Xiomara Carrera thought she had pulled a muscle, but her neck and back pain turned out to be symptoms of something much worse.
The beloved veteran elementary school teacher’s daughters, Priscilla Fernandez and Karina Carrera, said the pain was debilitating.
Karina Carrera, an emergency room nurse, worried when her mother started to experience challenges with her fine motor skills.
“She was having a hard time buttoning her blouse … she couldn’t even move her neck and she felt tingling,” Fernandez said.
Her diagnosis after tests: Severe spinal cord compression and other related complications. She had to undergo surgery to fuse metal rods down her spine. It was a risky procedure.
The Kingdom Academy teacher was quickly hospitalized. She was afraid but understood the surgery needed to be done to avoid permanent paralysis.
“The principal and I ran to the hospital as soon as we found out,” Ileana Perez, the academy’s president, said.
The doctors are not sure exactly what caused the damage. It could have happened over time. Not knowing how long her mom was going to need help, Fernandez set up a GoFundMe page.
Xiomara Carrera has given so many children at the school near Kendall so much love that in just three days 105 people had donated $17,885.
Fernandez said the surgery went well, but she is still slowly recovering mobility. Wiggling her toes was a big accomplishment.
The fundraiser to help support her recovery has a $30,000 goal and Fernandez is hoping more people will be able to help.