Apparel Fundraiser Supports Ashley Freese

MARSHFIELD, WI (OnFocus) Local businesses are teaming up to support a young mom whose battle with a mysterious illness has left her nearly paralyzed.

Ashley Freese of Mosinee was an employee at Simplicity Credit Union in Marshfield at the time her symptoms began around October last year. Repeated doctor visits yielded no answers as to why she felt increasingly weak and had difficulty eating. According to the test results, her condition didn’t warrant a hospital stay.

“Every day, she just got a little bit worse,” said Danielle Heiden, Ashley’s sister-in-law.

By Christmastime, the symptoms progressed to the point where Ashley couldn’t speak. It was difficult to eat or even to pick up her 1 year-old daughter. After weeks of doctor and ER visits, she was finally admitted to Marshfield in late December.

Tests initially concluded that she had Guillain-Barre syndrome, in which the nerves are attacked by the immune system, but treatments didn’t seem to work. Ashley started needing a breathing tube and was transferred by ambulance to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, where she continues to receive physical therapy and treatments.

The past few weeks has seen the smallest improvement in her ability to move, but otherwise Ashley is now only able to slightly move her toes and head.

Answers remain elusive.

“We will never know what caused this,” said Heiden.

Since Ashley’s insurance through her workplace will expire this spring, the family will have to start making expensive payments to a new company. Additionally, Ashley’s husband Jon has taken time off work to care for their young daughter and make trips to the hospital.

To help support the family in the journey ahead, Pure Diesel Power and Premier Printing* have teamed up for a week-long apparel fundraiser from Feb. 22 to March 1.

Adult-sized T-shirts can be purchased for $12 in sizes small to extra-large, or $15 for sizes XXL-3XL. These will be available for pick-up at Pure Diesel Power by March 11.

CLICK HERE to order a shirt.

The family is grateful for the support they’ve received so far and the number of people following their story, especially Ashley. “Her eyes just get so big, and she’s just in awe of how everybody cares,” Heiden said.

Follow Ashley’s story on Facebook, Supporting Ashley Freese. The GoFundMe page can be found at at gofundme.com/ashley-freese.

*TriMedia has a mutual ownership group that owns and operates Premier Printing, Inc.