Help Olivia Heal Post Dog Attack

Hello friends, family & loved ones near and far. First and foremost, we want to thank you for your unwavering support of Miss Blue over the last 2 years. We are truly made stronger with your love and immense community care. Your donations have allowed Olivia to heal at home (with staggering amounts of pain) through some of the scariest moments of her life. We are forever grateful for the outpouring of love she (and we all) have received.

Olivia Blue is many things: an artist, an adoring animal lover, an ally to the plants and flowers, a compassionate partner, a loyal friend, and a loving daughter. As her sister, I have witnessed the utmost strength of spirit rise in her throughout this traumatic process.

Anyone who has the privilege of knowing Olivia knows how incredibly big her heart is, and how she shows up for the people and places she loves with so much spunk, joy, and “Olivia-izness” that lights up any room she enters.

She has not had an easy path in life, and I have watched her fearlessly meet battle after battle since we were kids. She was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome when she was just a baby. Commonly known as “EDS,” this rare connective tissue disorder means she bumps and bruises easily, dislocates her joints on a daily basis, has received stitches upwards of 100+ times starting at 6 months old, and lives with a high level of chronic pain that debilitates her from most activities that able-bodied people take for granted.

On Friday, February 3, 2023, Olivia was involved in a horrible dog attack that left her with a mangled arm and serious trauma to her face. She has been incredibly fortunate to receive world-class care under the direction of Dr. Rodriguez at NYU Hospital in NYC. To date, she has received 4 successful reconstructive surgeries on her face and 3 on her arm. (She still has limited mobility where there is nerve damage on her left arm from it being broken in 12 places.) The Forehead Flap Procedure has utilized cartilage from both of her ears and septum, internal tissue to rebuild her mucosal membrane, and skin grafts from her forehead to recreate a nasal tip. It has been an intense and invasive process. Yet we are so grateful for the capability of her team.

We call her our “Star Fish” because she truly is healing in remarkable ways, growing a new nose so she can breathe and function again like a normal human. There is still a long path ahead, but we are incredibly hopeful given that the structural part of her surgeries has been a success.

Olivia’s body has an incredible capacity for healing. She has faced all kinds of trauma with perseverance and a positive attitude. But she still needs our support. She will be unable to work for the foreseeable future as she regains full mobility of her limbs and respiratory system. These funds will alleviate the stress of being dependent on those who care for her. There is also no guarantee her insurance will cover her upcoming 2-3 surgeries as it may be deemed “elective cosmetic surgery,” so she is potentially facing a $100k+ medical bill as she continues the process to reconstruct her face. Furthermore, these funds will help her in the future with laser treatment for any substantial scarring she incurs on her face, allowing her to live a more confident life.

This has been a scary and tragic period of life for Olivia, and for all of us, but she will be okay, eventually. We're glad she’s alive. She needs to continue focusing on healing at the moment, so let us support her in picking up some of the other pieces. I believe in the power of community to come together in times of need. Again, thank you to everyone who has supported thus far financially, or even with prayer or loving words. She may not be able to respond to everyone, and yet it is all widely welcome and gratefully received.

With so much love and gratitude,

Miranda Isobel, Emelie Winiski, Graeme Stasyshyn, and the whole Trowbridge-Wheeler, Quast family clan <3