Donate for Dawn!

Hello all. Our names are Dahlston and Drew Delgado, and we first want to thank each of you for taking the time to visit this page and read our story. Though it is not easy to talk about, we hope that our Moms truth will be shared with all the lives she has touched.

Friday, September 23rd, our world was turned upside down. After being unable to get ahold of Dawn for quite some time, our family began to panic. She was found on her bedroom floor by EMTs after the fire department broke down her apartment door. She was immediately taken to Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. Shortly after her arrival, she was rushed into surgery due to a large blood clot found in her brain. This caused her to have a severe stroke, and we would soon learn how much trauma this puts the body through.

Our family has never been faced with a stroke in our medical history. Since that Friday afternoon, we have learned that the recovery process is a marathon, not a race. One doctor mentioned that when dealing with the aftermath of a stroke, lots of baby steps suddenly equate to giant strides. Even in her time here on the Neuro floor at Presbyterian, Mom has proven this to be true. Minutes turn to hours, hours have turned into several days, and as we approach the end of week two, Mom continues to conquer small victories. As she slowly but surely strengthens herself, Drew and I have tried our best to become as educated as possible. We’ve asked the nurses, doctors, specialists, and therapists every question that comes to mind. After 7 long days in the ICU, we have spent an additional 6 in a regular hospital room.

As for now, this is what we are sure of. When Dawn first made it out of brain surgery, she was being held together by tubes. She received 100% oxygen from a vent, had a catheter, consumed all medication and nutrients through a feeding tube in her nose, and was connected to an IV 24/7. The stroke had massively impacted the left side of her brain, while the surgery that successfully removed the clot caused her brain to swell. Today, she is breathing completely on her own. Her vitals have remained in a great place, and all tubes have been removed from her body. Unfortunately, she has lost all mobility down the right side (head to toe). She is also unable to comprehend fully and has lost the ability to speak. As you can imagine, this has been heartbreaking for our family to witness.

Every stroke patient progresses differently. It’s hard for the professionals working with our Mom to give us an exact timeline and what to expect. We have been told that it can take up to 18 months of rehabilitation and therapy to reach her full potential, or “new normal.” She will be transferred from the hospital to inpatient rehab. We are unsure how long she will be allowed to stay in this program. Past this, the future is unknown and solely determined by her progress. Only 10% of stroke survivors make a full recovery, while 25% have only minor impairments. We are hopeful that Mom will continue to fight until she is the best version of herself. She raised us both to never give up on ourselves, and we are confident she won’t either. Our goal is to give her the best medical attention needed as we all navigate this challenging time.

To know Dawn is to love her entirely. She is not only a mother to the two of us but to anyone she meets. She loves with her entire heart and puts everyone before herself. We like to think that we have been blessed with an opportunity to put her first. Within those first few days, we would go on walks through the hospital. And during one, we decided to accept this as a full circle moment. Our Mom taught us how to use the bathroom, she taught us how to walk, she taught us how to eat, and she taught us how to speak. It has become our mission to do the same for her.

Thank you to everyone who has already reached out. One question has remained the same as more people learn about what’s happened — How can I help? More than anything, we ask that you keep our Mom in your thoughts and prayers. This will be a long road to recovery; some days will be more complex than others. Our family believes in the power of love, prayer, and positive energy. We will need every bit of this to continue making our girl stronger and stronger. If you would like to “Donate for Dawn,” this is the outlet to do so. We have opened a separate account under Mom's name that this will directly filter into. All proceeds will cover any medical care out of pocket for her, whether it be continued outpatient therapy, home care, or even the equipment we may need to turn her home into a functional living space for her potential disabilities. Again, we want her to have the BEST shot at returning to where she was. A loving, caring, THE hardest working, fully independent individual.

We will never know exactly how long our Mom laid there before she was found and rushed to this hospital, but what we do know is — she held on. She didn’t stop fighting for her life, for us. She held on for us boys, Madisson, Hudson & Callen, her siblings and the rest of our amazing family, the friends we consider family, her co-workers, and all the lives she has had the joy of intersecting with. Please help the one and only Dawn Delgado continue to hold on and fight for herself.

We love you all,

Dahlston & Drew