About ThermoSpas Seasons of Giving Nicole S.
| Nicole S. |
Nicole sits in her new ThermoSpa for the first time. 
Nicole and her sister enjoy the warm bubbling water. Nicole Receives an Extraordinary Gift From ThermoSpasWHO: 14-year-old Nicole has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a genetic defect of the collagen which causes each and every joint in her body to dislocate. WHAT: Living with EDS is living with constant pain from head to toe. Not only does EDS cause Nicole’s joints to get dislocated daily with little or no effort, but it also causes the muscles trying to support those joints to spasm resulting in even more pain. One of the best treatments for EDS is warm water therapy. While her family desperately wanted spa treatment for Nicole, they simply could not afford it. But today, Nicole will be able to experience the benefits of warm water therapy every day right in her own backyard. WHY: “Nicole wakes up in the morning and instead of feeling refreshed and ready to go, she is in pain. The first thing she has to do is to ‘pop’ everything back in that dislocated during the night (fingers, back, neck and whatever else decided to slip during the night),” states her mother, “That is the best she will feel all day. More activity brings more pain and she is truly wiped out by the time school ends.” While pain is a constant, the inability to participate in “kid stuff” like running in the yard, shopping at the mall and attending school outings can be even more heartbreaking for a child with EDS. “Nicole would love a hot tub for her pain and for physical therapy, but it would also be a wonderful and safe social place for her, her brother and sister and her friends,” states her mother.
How does a mom begin to thank someone for helping their child find some relief from her pain? I just don't know where to begin. Nicole has been using our new ThermoSpa hot tub since the moment it was ready. It is like the ThermoSpa was made just for Nicole. The Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome that Nicole suffers from causes her joints from head to toe to wiggle constantly. As you can imagine this pulls each of her muscles so that her joints and muscles ache throughout her entire body. Couple this with daily normal activities that come from being a fourteen year old high school student and you can imagine how she feels by the end of the day. Before we received the ThermoSpa Nicole would take a bath each night looking for relief. Most nights she was in the tub from an hour and a half to two hours. But the tub being a hard surface put pressure on her joints and sometimes she would come out feeling worse than when she went in so she could not find relief anywhere. Now she can go in to the hot tub for 10-15 minutes a few times a day and she feels great. The contour seat is so comfortable and the jets massage her muscles in just the right spots. Her biggest troubles are in her shoulders, lower back and the back of her calves. The jets plus the constant warm temperature is just what Nicole needs to get a great night sleep. The extra added plus is that she doesn't feel like she is getting therapy, she just knows how warm and comfortable she feels. The other wonderful thing is that it doesn't matter what our weather is like. Nicole can still enjoy the ThermoSpa because the water is constantly warm. I know that "thank you "does not seem like enough but I wanted to let you know what a big difference you have made in Nicole's quality of life. Thank you to you and to ThermoSpa for helping my daughter. We will never forget your kindness. Thank You, Mary Beth S., Nicole’s mom I wanted to tell you that on Saturday evening, after a very hectic day, Nicole got a very sharp pain that went down her whole left leg. She was in tears. She climbed into the hot tub and within 15 minutes the pain was gone completely. She got a fantastic night sleep and it was all drug-free. I wanted you to know just one example of how much you have helped Nicole and improved her quality of life. We will never be able to thank you enough. Mary Beth S., Nicole’s mom ThermoSpas donated a Triton Elite hot tub, which has 46 therapeutic jets and the “Ease of Use” commendation from the Arthritis Foundation. |
