Donate to Help the Family of young Emma Rose

My name is Karen, and I am raising funds to assist Emma Rose's family with their monthly finances. Approximately a month ago, 10-year-old, Emma Rose became extremely ill and even now is still in hospital requiring around-the-clock care. Her diagnosis is acute respiratory failure, Osteomyelitis-bone infection, sepsis, tachycardia, and pneumonia with signs of congestive heart failure due to fluid surrounding her heart. The family, thankfully, does not need assistance with medical bills; they are being covered by insurance. However, as a dual-income household (with two daughters on the autism spectrum living at home (one under the age of 18--Emma Rose) and with only a single parent working, they are not able to pay their monthly expenses of rent, utilities, insurance, food/groceries.

Any amount of money donated will be appreciated.

Please read on to fully understand the circumstances surrounding Emma Rose’s hospitalization.

In New Smyrna, Florida, approximately 4 weeks ago, Emma Rose caught the top of her foot underneath a door. She cried for a minute and then started walking around on it with no complaint. Fast-forward to 02-01-23 when Emma Rose woke up at 2 am screaming her foot hurt; her father took her to the nearest ER where x-rays were taken. They said there was no break and to give her Tylenol and Motrin for pain. She now needed them around the clock for pain. A call to the orthopedic produced the earliest appointment as 02-22-23. Her mother took it but still called every day—multiple times a day—for a cancellation.

The pain kept getting worse and, on 02-02-23, Emma Rose returned to the same ER where even more X-rays were taken and her parents told her foot was only bruised—nothing broken. More pain medications were prescribed and, again, ended up given around the clock.

Later, on 02-03-23, Emma Rose’s mother found an orthopedic in Orlando with a cancellation at 1 pm; her father drove her to the appointment. The orthopedic examined her foot, a repeat of X-rays, and a conclusion that there was indeed a fracture. Emma Rose was put in a walking boot.

By the time Emma Rose and her father returned to New Smyrna from Orlando, she was screaming that she was freezing; her temperature showed she had a fever of 104.5° F. While attempting to reduce the fever, a call was placed to the orthopedic who advised to immediately transport Emma Rose to Advent Health Ormond Beach. At the ER, after check-in, triage and while waiting for a room, her foot began to swell, turn red and become hot to the touch. She was admitted to a room where they started running a battery of tests to rule out viruses such as Covid, strep, and respiratory viruses. A cat scan was completed showing a minor fracture on her foot, and bloodwork results showed a major infection in her body. Emma Rose was admitted to the pediatric floor and started on broad-spectrum antibiotics while a determination was made as to the type of bacteria.

An MRI confirmed Emma Rose had an Osteomyelitis-bone infection, and her blood culture came back positive confirming she had sepsis. On the evening of 02-03-23, her status deteriorated, and she started needing oxygen. On the morning of Saturday, the fourth, she deteriorated further: tachycardia, along with confusion as to not knowing where she was and not responding to anyone familiar. Doctors decided to airlift her to Orlando where she was initially placed on the regular pediatric floor; two hours later she was relocated to the pediatric ICU. A chest X-ray confirmed she now had pneumonia with signs of congestive heart failure due to the amount of fluid surrounding her heart. She then was diagnosed with acute respiratory failure, osteomyelitis, sepsis, and tachycardia.

Emma Rose’s lab work started showing signs of improvement after they put her on two heavy-duty antibiotics. However, as of 02-08-23, she still needed pain meds around the clock. On the same day, the orthopedic surgeon walked in and, after telling the whole story, he examined her foot, and decided there was still too much infection; additionally, he did not feel she had a fracture at all but a build-up of pus. He concluded antibiotics would not totally remedy the situation and that an immediate operation was needed to drain the pus.

So, at approximately 2 pm on 02-08-23, Emma Rose went into surgery. It took longer than expected because of the amount of pus needing to be removed and, consequently, the surgeon left a drain in her foot.

Right now, Emma Rose’s prescribed antibiotic strength is inflaming her stomach and she is constantly screaming in pain. Her immune system is extremely compromised, and there is no ETA on when she will be discharged from Advent Health in Orlando. And then, even after discharge, she will be “hospital homebound” for at least 7 weeks. As her mother is the primary caregiver, it is also unknown when she will be able to return to work. She does direct client work so, if she does not work, she doesn’t get paid.

Even if you are unable to donate, please consider sharing Emma Rose’s story and keep her in your prayers for a full recovery.