UNA, Miss. (WTVA) - Imagine waking up every morning and knowing there is no medication to help cure you from two very serious medical conditions.
Monroe County resident Shannon McKee deals with this on a daily basis as she suffers from Chiari Malformation Syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
Her will to live comes from support, as in support groups.
Mckee spends a lot of her time communicating online with various support groups.
"There's some days where I can't get out of bed because of the pain," McKee said, who's a mother of three kids. "I am on disability because of it, because of all the various things. I guess the hardest thing is not being able to do stuff with my kids that I want to do."
Being limited, she has found solace in spending time using social media to her advantage; she quickly discovered she's not alone when it comes to dealing with these particularly serious medical ailments.
"There's at least fifteen to twenty people in north Mississippi and west Alabama who have the same things I do," adds McKee. "I wouldn't have found them if it hadn't been for Facebook."
Though there is no cure for McKee's condition, she is an advocate for support groups, being actively involved in as many as possible, because she says it helps her get through the pain.
"It helps because those people understand what you're going through," adds McKee. "You can tell somebody [you're] having a bad day and they actually understand. They know the frustrations that we deal with."
Since being diagnosed with both conditions, the word "quit" has never entered Shannon's vocabulary.
She's always looking for a way to keep moving forward.
"Most people would have thrown up their hands and said they've had enough, but she's always been very brave," adds Cecilia Moon, Shannon's mother. "God has gotten us through so many times and she knows the prayers and the support behind the other groups have been so supportive."
With additional risky operations in the near future, it's that support that will help her get through the tough times ahead.
The next operation for her is scheduled for Feb. 13 at Doctor's Community Hospital in Lanham, Md.
She's not alone in this fight; her 16-year-old son has recently been diagnosed with both conditions as well.
