Stephanie's path to recovery
Donation protected
As we are all fatigued by and trying to cope with the pandemic, please take a moment to read one more COVID-19 story about an issue that has not received the attention it deserves. Like many Americans, my sister Stephanie Castillo took all the precautions she could to prevent contracting Covid-19. She avoided group settings, wore a mask around people and always chose delivery or curbside options for buying necessities. As a Miami Dade-County resident, she understood the severity of this virus and the impact it was having on our community. Although she was a healthy 28-year-old and not considered “high risk”, she took every precaution and acted responsibly to avoid contagion.
It was late July of last year when she tested positive after a COVID outbreak occurred at her place of work. After experiencing shortness of breath, Stephanie was advised to monitor her oxygen saturation. She checked herself into Memorial Hospital West when her oxygen readings reached unhealthy levels. On July 24th I received a call that will forever change our family; Stephanie went into cardiac arrest while being placed on a ventilator. Soon afterwards, Stephanie’s kidneys started failing and she had to be placed on continuous dialysis. Throughout this critical time, we are unable to be by her side, though we were grateful to be offered ten-minute daily web calls to send her words of encouragement and our love.
Stephanie is the youngest of five siblings, the favorite child, “cool” aunt, and best little sister anyone could have. She endured living on the support of a ventilator for 45 days under a medically induced coma. Every day came with uncertainty, but we remained hopeful that God and Steph’s fighter spirit would allow her to be victorious over the virus. Stephanie was slowly weaned off of the ventilator and paralytic medication. We celebrated her and prayed that the darkest days were in the past. Little did we know the battle that lay ahead of us.
Stephanie had to undergo additional medical procedures including a tracheostomy and peg; both of which she handled like a champ! She began opening her eyes and became stable enough to no longer need dialysis. Things were looking up until we received a call from the neurologist. Our hearts shattered when the doctor informed us that an MRI showed Stephanie suffered an anoxic brain injury as a result of going into cardiac arrest. We learned that Stephanie had gone without oxygen for 7 minutes and the trauma was hindering her from following verbal commands and reaching consciousness. Even so, the neurologist was optimistic considering Stephanie’s young age and advised that we had to allow time for her to heal. Stephanie continued showing signs of progress by moving her head, looking around, yawning, and reacting to pain, touch and sound.
As Stephanie became more stable, the medical staff began to apply pressure on our family to have Stephanie removed from the hospital. They claimed that they would not be able to provide Stephanie with the therapies she so desperately needs. They suggested we transfer her to a long-term acute care facility to be weaned off of oxygen support. Unfortunately, most facilities are hesitant to admit her due to her age and the severity of her injury. After having difficulties finding a suitable program for Stephanie, several hospital staff suggested home healthcare and some even encouraged us to seek hospice care.
After exhausting all of our options in Florida, we began to look elsewhere for treatment. We came across the Disorder of Consciousness (DoC) program at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston, Texas. This program focuses on patients in a minimally conscious state and specializes with patients who are not ready to begin a traditional rehabilitation program but would benefit from alternate, brain-stimulating therapies. The DoCProgram applies state-of-the-art medical advances to assess and treat these patients to maximize the extent of their recovery; and by the grace of God, Stephanie was accepted into the program!
Stephanie has since been released from the The DoC Program at TIRR Memorial Hermann. She has shown such incredible strength and resilience throughout this process and with the help of the wonderful staff at the hospital, we are happy to report that Stephanie is making progress. Stephanie can now communicate via a laser guided spelling apparatus and no longer relies on oxygen support. Nevertheless, the road to recovery is long and costly. Stephanie still requires intensive therapies, and it is our hope to have her readmitted into another neurological program in the upcoming year.
My sister Stephanie has always been the type of person willing to help those in need and now we ask for help to fund this program that will provide the therapy and mental stimulation she needs. Additionally, we hope this letter will help to spread awareness of the lack of resources available for young adults who have suffered brain injuries.
We so grateful to have Stephanie at home and are determined to make sure that her life is long, happy, and fulfilling. Stephanie still has so much love and light to bring into this world. Let us not extinguish her potential nor sacrifice the lives of other young adults in similar situations.
Every share, prayer and donation is greatly appreciated!
- Rosa A. Castillo
It was late July of last year when she tested positive after a COVID outbreak occurred at her place of work. After experiencing shortness of breath, Stephanie was advised to monitor her oxygen saturation. She checked herself into Memorial Hospital West when her oxygen readings reached unhealthy levels. On July 24th I received a call that will forever change our family; Stephanie went into cardiac arrest while being placed on a ventilator. Soon afterwards, Stephanie’s kidneys started failing and she had to be placed on continuous dialysis. Throughout this critical time, we are unable to be by her side, though we were grateful to be offered ten-minute daily web calls to send her words of encouragement and our love.
Stephanie is the youngest of five siblings, the favorite child, “cool” aunt, and best little sister anyone could have. She endured living on the support of a ventilator for 45 days under a medically induced coma. Every day came with uncertainty, but we remained hopeful that God and Steph’s fighter spirit would allow her to be victorious over the virus. Stephanie was slowly weaned off of the ventilator and paralytic medication. We celebrated her and prayed that the darkest days were in the past. Little did we know the battle that lay ahead of us.
Stephanie had to undergo additional medical procedures including a tracheostomy and peg; both of which she handled like a champ! She began opening her eyes and became stable enough to no longer need dialysis. Things were looking up until we received a call from the neurologist. Our hearts shattered when the doctor informed us that an MRI showed Stephanie suffered an anoxic brain injury as a result of going into cardiac arrest. We learned that Stephanie had gone without oxygen for 7 minutes and the trauma was hindering her from following verbal commands and reaching consciousness. Even so, the neurologist was optimistic considering Stephanie’s young age and advised that we had to allow time for her to heal. Stephanie continued showing signs of progress by moving her head, looking around, yawning, and reacting to pain, touch and sound.
As Stephanie became more stable, the medical staff began to apply pressure on our family to have Stephanie removed from the hospital. They claimed that they would not be able to provide Stephanie with the therapies she so desperately needs. They suggested we transfer her to a long-term acute care facility to be weaned off of oxygen support. Unfortunately, most facilities are hesitant to admit her due to her age and the severity of her injury. After having difficulties finding a suitable program for Stephanie, several hospital staff suggested home healthcare and some even encouraged us to seek hospice care.
After exhausting all of our options in Florida, we began to look elsewhere for treatment. We came across the Disorder of Consciousness (DoC) program at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston, Texas. This program focuses on patients in a minimally conscious state and specializes with patients who are not ready to begin a traditional rehabilitation program but would benefit from alternate, brain-stimulating therapies. The DoCProgram applies state-of-the-art medical advances to assess and treat these patients to maximize the extent of their recovery; and by the grace of God, Stephanie was accepted into the program!
Stephanie has since been released from the The DoC Program at TIRR Memorial Hermann. She has shown such incredible strength and resilience throughout this process and with the help of the wonderful staff at the hospital, we are happy to report that Stephanie is making progress. Stephanie can now communicate via a laser guided spelling apparatus and no longer relies on oxygen support. Nevertheless, the road to recovery is long and costly. Stephanie still requires intensive therapies, and it is our hope to have her readmitted into another neurological program in the upcoming year.
My sister Stephanie has always been the type of person willing to help those in need and now we ask for help to fund this program that will provide the therapy and mental stimulation she needs. Additionally, we hope this letter will help to spread awareness of the lack of resources available for young adults who have suffered brain injuries.
We so grateful to have Stephanie at home and are determined to make sure that her life is long, happy, and fulfilling. Stephanie still has so much love and light to bring into this world. Let us not extinguish her potential nor sacrifice the lives of other young adults in similar situations.
Every share, prayer and donation is greatly appreciated!
- Rosa A. Castillo
Organizer
Rosa Castillo
Organizer
Hollywood, FL