SharonMcBride–AK Raised Mama Fighting 2 Walk Again

My name is Renee McBride-Rogers, and I am humbly reaching out to ask for help for the unexpected medical costs and inability to work of my “FIERCELY proud to be an ALASKAN GIRL!” momma Sharon McBride-Rogers.

For most of her adult life, Sharon has battled the disease of diabetes that runs in our family and it is a common story in many American households. Up until a few short months ago, she had felt that the beast was under control. She was practicing healthy eating, she was staying active, and I was so proud that she was trying hard to follow doctor’s orders on how best to deal with this dangerous condition. This is where what the doctor’s can only explain as a “super bug bacteria infection” started to attack her already compromised immune system and weak kidneys from the inside out. My dad and I suddenly saw my strong, brave, independent, and unbelievably stubborn natured momma turn into a scared, frail, and sickly lady that could hardly stand up out of the hospital bed without passing out.

The infectious disease specialists informed my momma that she was going to lose part of her foot now and that they might have to amputate the entire thing in the near future if the antibiotics didn’t take hold. At the same time, the antibiotics were having a horrible toll on the remaining function of her kidneys that were at less than 15% and on the verge of complete failure. On September 8th, she went to see her primary doctor because her blood pressure skyrocketing, and she was throwing up. Her doctor told her that there was nothing she could do and that she had to go to the emergency room. By then, the infection had returned to full force.

The doctors at Atrium Health Navicent were unsure how far the infection had gone in her foot/ leg but knew that taking more was her only choice to survive. My dad and I begged her to give the surgeon one more chance. And she did, making us promise to understand that this was the last time they would cut parts off her. The surgeon cut off half of her foot, and tests showed that they were into healthy tissue. She spent about 20 days in the hospital. She was finally allowed to go home with home health care and IV antibiotics. However, within four days, she got severely sick and had to return with no apparent cause of this recent illness.

Her treatment of her diagnosed diabetes and infection related issues continues, but, the doctors have yet to fully find or define root cause. She has been in and out of the hospital for months due to diabetes, sepsis, low kidney function, low blood, heart arrhythmia, persistent foot infection, and gastroparesis. The doctors began treating each symptom in the hopes of seeing improvement but they are still searching.

She is faced with more impossible decisions than she ever intended to have to make. The biggest one is starting dialysis and going on a transplant list. She had watched my Grandpa Mac die from diabetes-related illnesses, and in the end, he said the procedures were not worth the quality of life he could have maintained. After he lost his fight with diabetes and renal cancer, she swore she would never let a doctor keep cutting out parts to keep her alive, if in the end, it meant the same resulting death. She struggles with the feeling of being incomplete and embarrassed. My dad and I remind her constantly that she is not a failure, not a burden, not a bother and that her lack of body parts doesn’t make her less of a hero to us. Her love for us has always been overflowing, and she has provided for us selflessly.

My dad and I believe that Momma is just resting for this battle. She will find her strength again with God’s grace and time. All of this, of course, has made it impossible for my momma to work and to help with the mounting medical expenses that insurance doesn’t cover, the monthly bills that have pretty much been put on hold, or the undefined time for her long journey ahead to continue her care in a skilled nursing and muscle recovery facility. My Momma has always put me, my goals, and the rest of her family first. This has always been who she is. From a young age, she was the family caretaker, many times neglecting herself for others. My Momma tries to act like a badass, but in reality, she is the most caring, giving person I know, and her strength amazes me.

I am still in college and I can only give her my love and time in small trips to keep her morale up while my dad and the medical team continues to try find the right medical solution. I cannot accept that there is not something that can help my momma bounce back from this. She just needs assistance with medical and regular monthly bills as she only receives a minor and temporary disability check. If you feel it in your heart to help, forward it to those with the means, we will forever be grateful. I repeat, my Momma is a fighter. She needs a little help and support that lets her know the strength available for her to lean on.

Thank you.