While you may not know Tammy Hildebrand personally, I'm sure that you will recognize some of her designs, shown at the left. Tammy is a very close friend of mine. Her family has been suffering a great deal and it's finally reached a point where I feel the need to let others know about it. Tammy has been diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease. It's a dibilitating illness which requires expensive medical treatment and, unfortunately, it is not recognized by the medical industry as a whole. It is NOT covered by her medical insurance. Tammy has been suffering for as long as I've known her and it has taken its toll on her and her family. Treatment is expensive; just finding and traveling to a qualified doctor is expensive. Treatment is in the thousands of dollars and could be needed for years to come. Tammy's husband and daughters have watched her battle this horrible disease on a daily basis and there is fear. Not a day goes by that I don't think of Tammy and her family, going through this ordeal. I have given this a great deal of thought and, although I want to help Tammy, any small contribution I could make would be only a "drop in the bucket". But, the power of the crochet community is so strong! And, in this time of giving, I thought perhaps that you would like to help. Imagine what the crochet community could do to help Tammy and her family! Not having to worry about how they will pay for the treatments. Not having to worry about losing their home, which seems much too probable right now. This family has suffered so much. And, now, with Tammy's youngest daughter also being diagnosed with Lyme Disease, the family prays every day that they have caught it soon enough and she won't have the terrible journey Tammy has had. Please keep Tammy and her family in your hearts and prayers. They have a long road ahead of them. ---Kim Guzman 11/24/09 In response to a concerned email: Please note that Tammy Hildebrand has been diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease. While it is true that Lyme Disease, when caught in its early stages, can be treated and is covered by medical insurance, Chronic Lyme Disease, the manifestation of the disease when it's not diagnosed in its early stages, is NOT covered by her medical insurance. Lyme Disease in and of itself is a terrible illness, but Chronic Lyme is something else altogether and can take years for recovery. 12/22/09 My family and I would like to thank everyone for their very generous support and all the encouraging notes with the recent fundraising efforts. You have touched our hearts! Thank you to everyone that contributed all the awesome prizes for the website drawing. We are so blessed to have such amazing friends and family. THANK YOU! With much love and appreciation!!! ----Tammy Hildebrand $10 Gift $20 Gift $40 Gift $60 Gift $100 Gift All monetary gifts will be transferred directly to Tammy Hildebrand and her family. The official name of the benefit is "Help Tammy Benefit". The drawing for items here was held on December 20, 2009. The gifts listed on the page were randomly selected and the contributors were emailed directly. Everyone should have heard something about their gifts by January 16, 2010. If you haven't heard anything, it could simply be a matter of the email going into your spam account. Please be sure to check your spam account and, if you still don't have anything, please feel free to email me kim@helptammy.com. Although the drawing has ended, Tammy and her family could still use your help. Please help, if you are able. Thank you! If you require alternate payment methods, please email at kim@helptammy.com with your gift amount for specific instructions to be emailed. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me by email at kim@helptammy.com.