GoFundMe set up to help woman with local ties

Nineteen-year-old Tationna Adams will return to the West Virginia-Pennsylvania area on Feb. 27 after undergoing critical brain surgery in Germany on Jan. 15. 

Tationna has familial ties to Greybull; she is the great-granddaughter of Doratha Groseclose, granddaughter of Marvonne Adams and niece of Lora Whiteman.  Before her death in 2020, Whiteman was raising Adams and her sister as her own. 

“Tati is strong, funny, and fierce, and has made it through more challenges in her 19 years than most face in a lifetime,” Amie Ely, Whiteman’s daughter, wrote. She has led a GoFundMe campaign to help bring Adams back to the U.S. and cover medical expenses. 

Adams initially visited Munich over the Christmas holiday with some family friends, where she developed uncontrollable seizures due to an arteriovenous malformation in the blood vessels in her brain. Initially, the family thought they would have to order a medical flight to the United States, but doctors in Germany determined it would be too difficult to transport her without surgery. 

While the medical fees are less substantial without the flight, they will likely remain uncovered by insurance. It is likely Adams will require additional surgery and physical therapy upon her return home. 

“We remain extremely grateful for all the love and support,” Ely wrote. 

To stay updated and donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-tati-get-home-for-critical-brain-surgery.