Katrina's Road to Recovery

My family has always been small but strong; we've always been there for one another through the best and the toughest of times. On January 9th, life showed us that although we are strong, life is still very fragile. My beautiful sister, Katrina Gutierrez’s life changed in a split of a second; she had a spontaneous cardiac arrest at the young age of 30, stopping her heart instantly and sending her into a coma.

 

 

 

For those of you who know Katrina, she is the most loving, caring, and courageous person I have been blessed to know and, most importantly, the foundation that holds my small family together. I literally can't imagine a life without her being by my side, nor can I imagine a life without her infectious smile, laugh, and our special sister bonding moments. My family and I miss her so much, words could not describe the level of desperation and pain my heart feels knowing that she is currently stuck in that state.

 

 

 

Our family and friends know that Katrina is a fighter, with an unstoppable spirit willing to take on any challenge, who, despite suffering so much this last month and the pessimism of doctors, has been able to open her eyes and grab our hands. We know that there is a strong possibility that her path to recovery will be a long one, but with God's grace, her unbreakable spirit, and your support, we are determined to overcome this and hope God grants another chance at life for Katrina.

 

For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to meet Katrina yet, she is an extremely passionate, free-spirited person with an infectious and radiant personality that feels like home. Katrina’s laugh is so contagious you don't even realize what you're laughing about anymore. The love that she gives makes you feel guilty, like how is it possible to feel love this pure and unconditional. She is a super creative individual who loves trying new foods and cooking exciting dishes. Katrina has a friendly competitive nature allowing her to seek the most out of each moment. Her fur babies are smothered with unconditional forced-love and she does everything in her power to make sure they have the best life possible!

 

 

 

 

When the incident occurred, it shocked us all as Katrina has always been a very healthy and active individual with no prior medical issues. We were blessed that a loved one was near her when the incident occurred in order to get her immediate medical assistance and essentially save her life. She was taken to the Maui Memorial Medical Center and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit in order to sedate and stabilize her. Over the last week, her vitals have increasingly become stable as she continues to fight. Unfortunately, because of the pandemic restrictions, we haven't been able to be by Katrina’s side every day but have constantly been placed in video calls with her so she can hear our voices.

 

As of right now, Katrina’s medical treatment seems to entail a very comprehensive list of treatments and rehabilitation. From simple things such as continuous EEG to more complex forms of physical therapy to avoid joint damage and muscle atrophy, her treatments are going to require patience and positivity. At her current location, none of these treatments are available as it seems to be a fairly limited facility. By giving her the opportunity to rehabilitate in a Disorders of Conscience program, we give her the best possibility of recovering back to her normal life.

 

 

As you can imagine, all of these treatments, as well as the transportation required to get her from Maui to the mainland is going to require an immense amount of financial support. Unfortunately, most of these expenses are not covered by her insurance. Currently, our family is attempting to gather as much money as possible to put her in the best position to recover, but we are unable to sustain the financial burden.

 

Katrina has always been a selfless person willing to stand beside those who need help the most, now she needs us to fight along side her. We humbly ask for your love, support, and prayers to help us get through this challenging time. Our family would also be eternally grateful if you're able to assist financially in giving Katrina a fighting chance. We are delegating 100% of the proceeds collected to Katrina's rehabilitation, transportation, and recovery. We know that Katrina has tons of life to live and has so much more to give to this world, and we pray to God to give her that opportunity.

 

 

 

 

Thank you all!

 

-Venmo [@sabrinav379]

-CashApp [$SabrinaGutierrez379]