Help Gloria's recovery after triple amputation

Hello everyone, I am starting this support fund on behalf of Gloria who recently survived and continues to fight complications as a result of bacterial meningitis. Gloria is a remarkable, caring and devoted 34-year-old mother of two and a hard-working health professional. I’ve known Gloria for over 16 years. She is a big part of my life and a very loving and supportive aunt to my young niece. Gloria is the type of person who listens before she speaks, would offer to help anyone in need because she acts with her heart first, above else selfless.   On the evening of December 18th, 2019 Gloria suddenly felt unwell, she then called a taxi and rushed to the nearest hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital, she had turned completely blue from lack of oxygen and began losing consciousness, she was admitted immediately. Shortly after being admitted she became more unstable and unresponsive. The medical team made the decision to transport her to the intensive care unit at Royal Columbian Hospital. Gloria was diagnosed with Bacterial Meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is the most serious type of meningitis and is a medical emergency that can cause death or permanent disability. Meningitis is an infection that causes inflammation in the lining (meninges) that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.   Gloria was placed on life support as her kidneys and other vital organs began failing. Being a nurse, I was very aware of how critical she really was. I cried alot at home in private during this time, because I didn’t want to cry in front of her children or family. I cried thinking about the extent of harm the infection had caused, such as brain damage. Gloria remained critical on life support for almost 2 weeks. In the days following, Gloria slowly became more stable and was able to breathe on her own. I cried again when I spoke to her for the first time in weeks and realized she did not have brain damage. The medical staff and nurses at RCH were so great, they saved her life. We expected to face at least 6 months of rehabilitation for her to be able to walk again, we had talked about facing that journey together. Then, Gloria began showing signs of complications from the infection, she began forming blood clots in the deep tissue of her hands and feet. Despite multiple surgeries and close monitoring, the tissue of her hands and feet began dying. As a result, Gloria underwent surgery to amputate both her feet, right hand and several fingers on her left hand. This was very traumatic for her and all of us so close to her. We have been at Gloria’s bedside trying to be supportive in every way we can. I can say I visit her often and she is doing better every day, she is coping and processing the reality of her life being changed in so many ways. Gloria has had several surgeries over the past two weeks, we are hoping there won’t need to be anymore. I have never witnessed the kind of strength this truly remarkable woman has to keep fighting, fighting for her children and family.   After talking to the prosthetics team at VGH and researching costs, I wanted to help raise funds to help Gloria’s journey to rehabilitation. We have applied to the 2 primary funding agencies available for prosthetics, however, if approved there are deductibles, low percentage of coverage and will only approve expenses that fall within their “basic functionality” guidelines. The basic costs for 1 foot prosthetic is $10,000-30,000 CAD. The basic cost for a functional hand prosthetic is $15,000-25,000. These prosthetics are also not for long term use, they need to be replaced about every 3-5 years due to wear and tear. Gloria will continue to require Physiotherapy and other ongoing multidisciplinary health care team resources over the next year as well as modifications in her home to continue her road to recovery and rehabilitation.   I wanted to thank everyone that took time out of their day to read about Gloria’s journey. This is very dear to my heart. We really appreciate any donation to help Gloria’s road to rehabilitation, no donation is too small. Please share and help raise funds for Gloria with me.