Todd, our walking miracle
Thank you for investing the time to hear Todd and Meleah’s story. They are both encouraged by the outpouring of love and support from this community.
Todd Sykes began this year relatively healthy, celebrating the birth of his youngest child Jozie (sister to Preston and Braden) and six years of marriage to Meleah. Over the course of spring/summer 2020, Todd began noticing fatigue, anemia, body aches, memory issues, digestion issues and other discomfort that didn’t have a clear answer. During those months, he attempted to pinpoint exactly what was going on through doctor visits, bloodwork and exhaustive testing. He visited every specialist possible, introduced better diets and eliminated food groups altogether. He spent time with family at the Outer Banks in hopes that “getting away” would reduce his anxiety (in case that was the cause of his other ailments).
Some answers, finally:
In late October, after a 7-month journey with a mystery illness, an emergency admission to WakeMed and five days in the hospital, Todd and Meleah received some answers. Todd had an aggressive heart infection called endocarditis; in seeking to treat the endocarditis, doctors discovered two congenital heart defects (atrial septal and a missing valve) that Todd never knew he had. 
Todd underwent a successful open heart surgery on the morning of October 28th and was placed on antibiotics, though finding the right course of antibiotics has taken time. As he recovers from heart surgery and his infection, he has hit a few bumps in the road. 
On November 4th, Todd had a stroke, leaving him with a great deal of left side body weakness and drooping. Via CT scan, doctors discovered a brain aneurysm, likely caused by the infection traveling from his heart to his brain. An endovascular coiling procedure was successfully administered the following day. Still recovering in the hospital, Todd had yet another setback on November 14th when excess fluid (500mL) was detected around his heart, which was remedied by placing a chest drain, which currently remains in place.
The latest:
Todd’s most recent test results show that the infection has spread in his brain. The prayer moving forward is that the antibiotics will heal the infection and lower Todd’s risk for stroke. A followup operation is not possible at this time due to Todd’s fragile condition following heart surgery and the risk for a hemorrhagic stroke and paralysis. 
The most important thing you can do is continue to pray. Pray for the antibiotics to begin working in a miraculous way. Pray for the overwhelming anxieties the Sykes family is facing to be comforted. Pray for a smooth road to recovery and that Todd will regain strength as he is healed. Pray that he will be a walking miracle. Pray for getting Todd home to his family - in God’s perfect timing - and that his needs will be met through in-home care, weeks of post-heart valve surgery rehabilitation and the support of family and friends.
Additionally, we have created this GoFundMe to provide financial support for the Sykes family. This will help them meet medical costs associated with Todd’s hospital stay, such as max out-of-pocket expenses, MRIs, angiograms, labs, recovery and rehabilitative care and other expenses not covered through health insurance.
Todd, Meleah and the entire Sykes crew are tremendously grateful for each and every donation and prayer.
