Pediatric Nurse, Basking Ridge Preschool Founder Diagnosed With Dysautonomia

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Joy Griffith, was a very healthy 31-year-old pediatric nurse for children with special needs and mother of two children ages 11 and 8 in Basking Ridge. She is also the founder of Sunshine Preschool & Infant Care in the township.

Griffith would go hiking often and was very active with her family but it wasn’t until June 28 when her life would change. She passed out in her kitchen, then proceeded to lose consciousness over and over again.

“She continued fainting over and over again about 200 times in one night,” Griffith’s sister Rebecca Cook said.

Griffith was rushed to the hospital and then transferred to another hospital in New York City where she was diagnosed with dysautonomia, a chronic medical condition involving the automatic system in her body malfunctioning.

October is dysautonomia awareness month and unfortunately there is no cure for this condition. More than 70 million people worldwide live with various forms of dysautonomia.

Doctors have told Griffith that she will have to learn to live with this condition for the rest of her life.

“In her case she has two major symptoms where her heart rate will cause her to faint and also her fibers in her nerves will cause pain in her body, giving her horrible migraines,” Cook said. “It is very debilitating.”

Griffith has been told that she will not be able to drive for at least six months, and the doctors are unsure when-or even if-she will be able to return back to work.

Couple that with the frequent doctor visits, numerous tests and treatment, and overwhelming expenses brought upon the family. Cook started a gofundme page to help offset some of the burden.

“Joy is one of best people I know,” Cook said. “She is always the first person to help someone when they need it. She opened the preschool, has volunteered at countless community events. While working full-time with two young kids she even went back to school to become a nurse, where she took classes and sacrificed time with her family to work.”

“We don’t know if Joy will ever be able to do the things she loves again but we hope for the best,” Cook said. “Until that time I started the gofundme hoping to ease some of the stress, so she can focus on getting better and not focus on paying bills.”

To donate to Joy's Medical Fund or for more information CLICK HERE.

(Image via gofundme: Griffith family.)

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