Chilin's Battle Against Septic Shock: A Road to Recovery

Dear friends,

I’m writing to share the difficult journey my brother-in-law, Chilin Yeh, has been through. A loving father to a 6-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter, a hard-working husband to my sister and a beloved member of our community, Chilin’s life was turned upside down when a seemingly harmless strep throat infection quickly turned into a severe health crisis within a day. He developed septic shock and became critically ill. Initially, he was admitted to the ER at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center. However, his condition worsened rapidly and the doctors concluded that he needed ECMO to support his heart and lungs. They quickly arranged for him to be airlifted to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center for advanced treatment the next morning.

At first, the doctors warned us that his odds of survival were extremely low. However, Chilin has shown remarkable resilience, making gradual but encouraging progress each day. While we are immensely grateful that he is expected to survive, the toll on his body has been devastating. Unfortunately, both his hands and legs have to be amputated. Septic shock caused his blood pressure to drop dangerously low, and the medications used to raise it resulted in poor blood flow to his extremities, leading to irreparable damage. Septic shock also caused multiple organ failures, and over the past few weeks, he has undergone numerous life-saving procedures, including the use of devices like the impella and ECMO to stabilize his heart and lungs. In addition to these, he has to be on dialysis 24 hrs due to severe kidney damage.

Despite the severity of his condition, Chilin has gradually recovered enough to open his eyes and respond to voices. When we first learned that a quadruple amputation was necessary for his survival, we were uncertain if he would be able to mentally accept it, as he was still on sedative medications and not fully conscious. We could only inform him about the procedure after his leg amputation was done. In an incredible display of strength and courage, when his father explained what had happened, he was able to calmly process the information. We were able to know he was real calm by monitoring his heart rate and blood pressure through the life-sustaining medical devices, and none of his vital signs fluctuated.

The Road Ahead:

Chilin’s recovery will be long and challenging. He is going to need extensive rehabilitation and prosthetics for both hands and legs. In addition to medical and rehabilitation costs, his home will need significant modifications to accommodate his new needs, such as ramps, wider doorways, and an accessible bathroom. Their car will also need to be modified in the future so that Chilin can regain his independence and drive again. His family will have to get used to a whole new way of life, which will come with its own set of challenges and financial strains. The support of our community will be grateful to help them get through these tough times.

How You Can Help:

We have set a fundraising goal of $100,000 to help cover the extensive medical bills, rehabilitation costs, prosthetics, home modifications, vehicle modifications, and to support Chilin’s family during this difficult time. Any amount you can contribute will make a significant difference in easing their burden and helping Chilin regain a semblance of normalcy in his life.

Your prayers, support, and generosity mean the world to us. Together, we can help Chilin and his family navigate this challenging journey with hope and strength.

親愛的朋友們，

我想與大家分享我姐夫葉紀麟所經歷的艱難病程。紀麟是一位6歲兒子和4歲女兒的慈愛父親，也是一位勤奮工作的丈夫。六月初他因一場看似無害的咽喉炎感染，迅速惡化為敗血性休克，病情非常嚴重。他被送往賓州大學長老會醫療中心進行治療。雖然他的存活機率極低，紀麟展現了非凡的韌性，每天都有所進步。但敗血性休克引發了多重器官衰竭，他經歷了多次的搶救手術，包括使用如人工心臟和葉克膜等設備來穩定他的心肺功能。除此之外，由於嚴重的腎臟損傷，他必須24小時接受洗腎。不幸的是，由於病情和治療的關係，他的雙手和雙腿都必須截肢。

紀麟的康復之路將非常漫長且充滿挑戰，他將需要大量的復健治療和義肢，他們的房子也需要進行大幅度改造，以適應他的新需求。我們設立了10萬美元的籌款目標，幫助支付龐大的醫療費用、復健費用、義肢費用，以及房子和車輛的改造費用。我們懇請大家伸出援手，您能夠捐獻的任何金額都將能幫助減輕他們的負擔、幫助紀麟重拾正常的生活。

您的祈禱、支持和慷慨對我們來說意義重大！讓我們一起幫助紀麟和他的家人在這段挑戰重重的旅程中充滿希望和力量。

感謝您的支持。