Rally for Debbie: Sepsis & Kidney Struggle

Hi, my name is Kati, and I’m reaching out for help during one of the hardest times my family has faced.

On January 20th, my mom(Debbie) drove herself to the ER due to extreme hip pain. What we thought was just a hip issue turned into something much more serious. She was admitted to the hospital, where they discovered a staph infection in her blood. The infection was so severe that she developed sepsis and had to be moved to the ICU within days. By the end of the first week, her kidneys started shutting down, and doctors told us she was in stage 5 kidney failure and would need dialysis.

At that point, I called my dad, who is an over-the-road (OTR) truck driver, and told him to come home. Unfortunately, his company was experiencing computer issues, and he was stuck in Texas for a week. When he finally got moving again, he ended up stuck in Missouri for the same reason. Meanwhile, my mom, who is handicapped and relies on him as the sole provider, was fighting for her life in the hospital. Every mile he drives counts toward keeping their home, so missing work was devastating.

After two weeks in the hospital, my mom finally became lucid enough to understand what was happening. Thankfully, after starting dialysis, her kidneys improved enough that doctors decided to remove her temporary port. However, she still needed IV antibiotics to fight the infection, so they placed a PICC line. Since she had been bedridden for so long, she required extensive physical therapy and was transferred to a rehab facility to continue treatment.

By the time my dad was able to get home, she had been released from the hospital. He had been out of work for two weeks, so he used what little savings they had to pay the bills and then had to get back on the road. Unfortunately, while he was gone, his company made changes to their pay period without informing him, which meant he missed another paycheck. On top of that, they made additional changes that will hurt his earnings in the long run.

After two weeks in rehab, my mom was transferred again—this time to a nursing home—because she suddenly lost function in her right leg. For 14 days, she was stuck in bed once more, unable to move. We just learned that her hip has compacted, likely pinching a nerve, which means all physical therapy has to stop until something can be done.

This has been an overwhelming and heartbreaking journey. My dad is doing everything he can to keep up with expenses, but missing work for so long has put them in a tough spot. On top of that, we’re hoping to find a rehab facility closer to home so family can visit more often and help lift her spirits. She deserves better care and more support from loved ones.

All donations will go toward keeping their home and covering medical expenses. I know times are hard for everyone, but if you’re able to help in any way—no matter how small—it would mean the world to us.