Andrew Blake Spain
My name is Andrew Blake Spain, but my friends, family, and fiance call me Blake. I am 26 years old from Booneville, Mississippi, I have a wonderful fiance, Kaylee, who stays strong and fights with me through EVERYTHING, and I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis in the Fall of 2012. My family own an incorporated farm, Spain Farms,Inc, and I have worked there since I was a young boy. Not only have I done every plowing, combining, and bush-hogging thing you can think of I also worked at an auto-mechanic shop and a for a moving company. My back problems started in early 2008 after an accident on the job. The pain never let up after that. The long, painful years leading up to 2012 I had numerous spinal blocks, shots, meds, shots, meds, shots and more meds. August of 2012 I finally had the “nightmare come alive thing.” I had a three-level posterior lumbar spinal fusion and stayed in the hospital for days. I have been to pain management, rheumatologist, surgeons and the nightmare carries on with me. Weeks after the horrific surgery, I was finally diagnosed with AS. I have tried everything from Humira, Lyrica, Pain Meds… Nothing stops. I now am about to set up an appointment for surgery on my neck because imaging has shown AS causing the vertebrae in my neck to fuse/lock together. Along with all the “joys” of AS, I also have had a hiatal hernia surgery and one more to come very soon. Though I fight through the struggles of AS it has not always been easy before the disease, I had an unimaginable childhood. I lost my hero and my best friend, my father David, in 1996 in a freak hunting accident which resulted in my mother physically and mentally abusing me for years, my sister was killed tragically by a drunken driver when she was only 13 years old and i was 6, my first cousin, whom was like the big brother I never had, also got killed very tragically in a car accident in 2010 when he was 28 and I 23. I have had a tough life. I’ve seen things no 8 year old should see. I have unimaginable, unbearable pain every waking moment of my entire life and the saddest part, it is probably never going to stop. My fiance and I pray everyday for those who have it and myself. I know first hand how tough it is and I pray for all of you innocent, good people who have to live a daily struggle, because you nor i deserve it. Hopefully, working together we can make a difference and make it known WORLDWIDE!! And last but not least, thank you Cookie, for all the wonderful, strong things you do for theses people! You my friend are making a difference!
Thank you guys for taking time and reading my story! God Bless! 🙂
Andrew Blake Spain
Booneville, Mississippi, United States of America
26 Yrs Old
Dear Andrew,
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
Sincerely Cookie
Thank you for doing everything you do!! And giving me a chance to be heard! May you have a blessed day!
#NeverLose