Team Emily

“I Can Do Hard Things”

One of the mantras Emily lives by and inspires others with, has never been so needed as it’s been these last 4+ months.

At the end of May, Emily was living her full and fulfilling teacher/mom/wife life: finishing up another school year and looking forward to an adventurous and relaxing summer break with the family. So many enjoyable things to do and so many fun people to hang out with. She was choosing to "live the better story" as she liked to say: impacting her students and staff at Wellington Elementary during the day and then being fully present with family and friends in her free time.

What she thought was just a pesky cold on a Wednesday progressed to bronchitis by Saturday and then required an urgent trip to Baptist Hospital ER by Sunday night. When Jeff took her to the hospital on May 22, her blood pressure was crashing, her heart rate spiking and her oxygen was so low they immediately sedated her, putting her on a ventilator and in a medically induced coma.

Monday through Thursday she battled for her life. Thursday night she took a turn for the worse. Her lungs were ravaged by a bacterial staph infection with pneumonia and even the ventilator was not doing enough. Through an absolute miracle she was able to get a transfer to the University of Kentucky Hospital so she could be put on an ECMO machine. Because her lungs were not able to oxygenate her body sufficiently, this incredible and specialized machine takes the blood from her body and oxygenates it and pumps it back through the patient.

For the last 17 weeks, Emily has been on the ECMO machine, working to regain her physical strength, all the while fighting incredible odds. Although the ECMO machine is keeping her alive, her lungs have continued to lag behind. We have seen some progress over these incredibly difficult months, but the huge miracle so many have been praying for: the complete healing of her lungs, hasn’t happened yet.

Unfortunately, the UK staff is now out of safe treatment options for Emily. Jeff has been an unbelievable inspiration of “in sickness and in health.” Not only is he with her at the hospital most of every day cheering Emily on as she learns to walk again, swallow again, talk again, but he has worked with the UK staff to find the best next medical institution with a hopeful solution that will ultimately bring Emily back home to the beautiful house she created so lovingly for Jeff, Ella and Jackson.

Although it has taken a long trial of perseverance and patience, they have found the next viable option for Emily at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago. Northwestern is a Center of Excellence and very well respected for their progressive abilities in their pulmonary/lung center. This is going to truly test the Presley’s mantra of “I can do hard things.” While the hope is the doctors there can speed along her recovery with top of the line treatments and avoid transplant - the future is still uncertain…and that may be the most likely option to get her back home.

In order for Northwestern to agree to accept Emily, she and Jeff have to commit to live close by the hospital for the next year in order to ensure she has the best chance of a full and healthy recovery.

The expenses involved in this endeavor are daunting to say the least, but doing hard things has never been a challenge that Emily has backed down from. It has been absolutely inspiring and beautiful to see how the hospital staff at UK has been impacted by Emily’s joy, light and gratitude despite the overwhelming circumstances. Many of the staff have commented on the love and support Emily has received from so many family and friends, and there is no doubt this level of support has kept her going in this exhausting physical, mental and emotional marathon.

Many of you have asked what you can do to help. For months, many have prayed desperate prayers, sent encouraging notes, prepared meals for the family and donated gift cards – all the while wishing more could be done. Now we are being given the opportunity to tangibly give back to Emily and bless the Presleys as their lives are about to enter another monumental chapter. While this journey has been a mountain of physical duress, it is an understatement to say it will now, more than ever, become a financial mountain to climb as well.

The donations given here will go to cover medical expenses and even more immediately to cover housing and living expenses in downtown Chicago for up to a year so they can be within walking distance of Northwestern Hospital (recommended by the hospital’s social work team). Additionally, it will help with transportation for Jeff back and forth to Lexington to be with the kids and to bring them to Chicago when possible.

Please give as you are able to make this next step in the Presley’s unbelievable journey a little less daunting and in the hopes of bringing Emily back home to her family where she longs to be.