Laurie’s fight

Hi, my name is Paula.

I’m raising funds for my sister who is hospitalized due to encephalitis. A virus has caused her brain to swell. A team of 6 neurologist at St. Luke’s Memorial hospital in Boise, Idaho can only pray there is no damage to her brain.

Laurie became ill 4 days before Mother’s Day. It started with a headache, then a migraine, then nausea, eventually she was unable to walk or form words, all the markers of a stroke(but it wasn’t ),

Laurie was between jobs and without medical insurance when she was struck by a virus (not Covid)- she was immune compromised when the virus hit and her body just couldn’t fight it off. Laurie was rushed to the hospital in Nampa, Idaho for emergency treatment, then moved to St. Luke’s for more intensive treatment. She was placed in ICU for 3 weeks while she fought for her life. Her body was pumped full of antibiotics 24 hours a day to fight the virus. She slept the majority of the time though doctors woke every hour to check her vitals and run cognitive tests.

We are a family of “Helpers”, we’ve never been in a position to ask for help for ourselves. However, everyday bills are piling up and it’s difficult to keep pace without Lauries’s income, not to mention the hospital bills that will be arriving soon. So, here we are, asking for your help.