Support Lucy’s Family in Their Time of Grief
Donation protected
This GoFundMe is set up to assist my aunt Lucy and her husband Kevin with their medical and living expenses as Lucy recovers from heart failure. Kevin has been there every single step of the way, and his dedication and love for Lucy is so evident. He is missing out on work and who knows what their medical bills will look like when this is all said and done. And they are only one week in...there's months of recovery ahead.
The Full Story:
On 5/1/24 Lucy was suddenly struck with a sensation of being unable to breathe and general weakness. She could not walk and felt like she was having a panic attack. Her husband, Kevin, took her to a local hospital where they discovered she had atrial fibrillation, an elevated heart rate, and low blood pressure. Upon extensive testing they discovered she was in fact in cardiogenic shock and needed intense, life saving treatment. She was flown to SLU (Saint Louis University hospital), and testing and treatment began almost immediately.
Whereas a person with a healthy heart has an output volume of about 50%, Lucy had about 10%, and it was starting to affect her other body systems with the lack of perfusion. Her liver enzymes were elevated, her kidneys were beginning to show signs of stress, and since she was in the early stages of organ failure Lucy was fitted to an entire life support system called an ECMO (Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine). You've probably seen ECMO in the news the last several years due to COVID; it's a miracle of a system that performs the functions of a person's heart and lungs while they are allowed to rest and recover. It provides the amount of perfusion Lucy's organs need to recover while her heart strengthens.
The suspicion is that Lucy is suffering from cardiogenic shock due to a weakened heart affected by myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart. Myocarditis has also been in the news lately due to COVID and flu, as a viral infection is the number one cause of myocarditis in most people who get it. Thankfully, the doctor said in many cases people with myocarditis respond relatively well to steroid treatment, and we're hoping there is a chance that Lucy's heart and other organs will begin to participate in healing.
So now we are literally left with nothing but hope, prayers, and time. The team has done all they can do to support her heart, and as they say the rest is up to her. I know so many of you love her and are eager to witness her recovery. Your prayers and well wishes mean the world to Lucy and her family, and I hope that one day soon she can thank every one of you personally.
The Full Story:
On 5/1/24 Lucy was suddenly struck with a sensation of being unable to breathe and general weakness. She could not walk and felt like she was having a panic attack. Her husband, Kevin, took her to a local hospital where they discovered she had atrial fibrillation, an elevated heart rate, and low blood pressure. Upon extensive testing they discovered she was in fact in cardiogenic shock and needed intense, life saving treatment. She was flown to SLU (Saint Louis University hospital), and testing and treatment began almost immediately.
Whereas a person with a healthy heart has an output volume of about 50%, Lucy had about 10%, and it was starting to affect her other body systems with the lack of perfusion. Her liver enzymes were elevated, her kidneys were beginning to show signs of stress, and since she was in the early stages of organ failure Lucy was fitted to an entire life support system called an ECMO (Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine). You've probably seen ECMO in the news the last several years due to COVID; it's a miracle of a system that performs the functions of a person's heart and lungs while they are allowed to rest and recover. It provides the amount of perfusion Lucy's organs need to recover while her heart strengthens.
The suspicion is that Lucy is suffering from cardiogenic shock due to a weakened heart affected by myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart. Myocarditis has also been in the news lately due to COVID and flu, as a viral infection is the number one cause of myocarditis in most people who get it. Thankfully, the doctor said in many cases people with myocarditis respond relatively well to steroid treatment, and we're hoping there is a chance that Lucy's heart and other organs will begin to participate in healing.
So now we are literally left with nothing but hope, prayers, and time. The team has done all they can do to support her heart, and as they say the rest is up to her. I know so many of you love her and are eager to witness her recovery. Your prayers and well wishes mean the world to Lucy and her family, and I hope that one day soon she can thank every one of you personally.
Organizer and beneficiary
Jamie Lewis
Organizer
High Ridge, MO
Kevin Lee
Beneficiary