Move Mountains For Danielle Mumm
Donation protected
On December 26th, 2018, Danielle “Danny” Mumm, a perfectly healthy 19-year-old athlete, suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in the mountains near Seattle.
Danny Mumm, one of five siblings, has been an elite and passionate soccer player most of her young life. Her freshman year of college, she played soccer for Montana State Billings (MSUB) and transferred to Grand Canyon University (GCU) this year. The very picture of health, she had never displayed any signs of a congenital weakness in her heart. On the day after Christmas, all that changed. While tubing with her family at Snoqualmie Pass, suddenly she didn't feel well and passed out in the snow. She stopped breathing and had no pulse.
Miraculously, after critical minutes passed, there was a nurse that happened to be at the mountain tubing as well, who began performing CPR until ski patrol, and subsequent medics finally arrived. Once the medics arrived, they immediately "shocked" her with a defibrillator, but it was clear that her life was touch-and-go. She had to be shocked again on the way and once she arrived in Emergency. After 24 hours in ICU at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, despite everything the doctors could do, her heart and overall condition continued to worsen. The doctors at Overlake consulted with the University of Washington Medical Center, and decided they needed to move her to UWMC and place her on a life-saving ECMO machine; a medical marvel that did the work of Danielle's heart and lungs so she could fight for her life and let her heart and major organs recover. And praise be to God, it worked! After 4 days on the ECMO machine, Danny’s cardiac and pulmonary functions gradually restored, and her life was miraculously spared. The word “miracle” is often used lightly. But in this case, it is the only word to describe what happened.
Just as incredibly, Danny shows no sign of cognitive damage. "She is the same sweet, loving and precious Danny," says her father, John. And although she has a long, very difficult road ahead of her, she will survive against all odds, by the Grace of our Heavenly Father.
The challenges ahead on this long road to recovery will be enormous. Because Danny was without effective cardiac function for an extended period, and had to be placed on so many vascular constricting drugs to stay alive, the lack of circulation to her extremities caused considerable tissue and nerve damage. The resulting ‘compartment syndrome in both lower legs and her left arm have required fasciotomy surgeries, the results of which will take time to fully determine. We are all praying for full circulation to return to her feet and further miraculous recovery. Danny will soon begin intensive inpatient physical therapy as she works towards a full recovery.
Danny is a fighter, and despite all she’s been through, her spirits are high, her eyes shine and she continues to amaze and inspire the doctors and other health care providers with her recovery and attitude. She remains a light in the room.
Her family has surrounded her with loving care. Her room is decorated with pictures, inspirational verses and well wishes from family and friends. Tens of thousands, literally around the world have been praying for Danny. Her courage in the face of enormous trials and complications have touched so many hearts. So many have asked what they can do and how they can help. For those that would like to make any kind of financial contributions towards the enormous medical and long term rehabilitation expenses, this GoFundMe page provides that opportunity. The Mumm family would like to thanks everyone for their thoughts, prayers and any kind of help you would like to provide. While the Mumm family has health insurance, the costs are enormous – and the intensive life-saving care and rehabilitation comes with a big price tag.
Please share this with everyone you know. Together, we can move mountains for Danny!
“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to a mountain, ‘Go throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart, but believes… it will be done for them.”
- Jesus Christ, Mark 11:23
Organizer and beneficiary
Tiea Hanson
Organizer
DesMoines, WA
John Mumm
Beneficiary