The Stewart Family Fund

On April 11th, 2014 My Dad Randy Stewart went into Surgery at Central Vermont Medical Hospital in Berlin, Vermont to fix a Hernia. Surgery was "a success" but after surgery he ran into serious complications. There was no activity in his Intestines and he started to run a high fever. He was brought to Fletcher Allen on April 21st, 2014 and within a few hours of transport he was on Life Support. He is Septis and is in Septic Shock, He is on 3 Blood Pressure medications to stabilize him (Gone down to 2 currently); He has C Diff infection which has spread throughout this body into his blood and has Killed part of his Colon, he has fluid around his left lung and Pneumonia, he is on dialysis for his Kidney's, as well as other complications as well. On April 21st, 2014 he went in for another surgery, with the fears of the worst. They wanted to take his entire Colon and give him an ileostomy bag (Which he will need for the rest of his life) but were unable to do so at this time. His Stomach is currently "open" his intestines are currently disconnected, with mesh and a wound vac protecting it until he is strong enough to have the procedure to close his stomach back up and give him the ileostomy bag. He is now up to 4 Surgeries since April 11th, 2014 and is still facing more.

 I am asking for all of those who can, to find it in your hearts and donate to help our family with this difficult and heart wrenching time. We are continuing to help him fight, standing by his side every moment. Thank you for all of the Prayers, Love and Support.

Listed Below are some of the Definitions and Descriptions of what my Dad is currently going through



Definition of Sepsis:

Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection. Sepsis occurs when chemicals released into the bloodstream to fight the infection trigger inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation can trigger a cascade of changes that can damage multiple organ systems, causing them to fail.

If sepsis progresses to septic shock, blood pressure drops dramatically, which may lead to death.

Definition of Septic Shock:

Septic shock is what happens as a complication of an infection where toxins can initiate a full-body inflammatory response. It often occurs in people who are elderly or have a weakened immune system.

It is thought that the inflammation resulting from sepsis causes tiny blood clots to form, which can block oxygen and nutrients from reaching vital organs. As a result, the organs fail, causing a profound septic shock. This may cause a drop in blood pressure and may result in death. In fact, septic shock is the most common cause of death in intensive care units in the United States

Complications with C-Diff Infections:

Dehydration. Severe diarrhea can lead to a significant loss of fluids and electrolytes. This makes it difficult for your body to function normally and can cause blood pressure to drop to dangerously low levels.

Kidney failure. In some cases, dehydration can occur so quickly that kidney function rapidly deteriorates (kidney failure).
Toxic megacolon. In this condition, your colon becomes unable to expel gas and stool, causing it to become greatly distended (megacolon). Left untreated, your colon can rupture, causing bacteria from the colon to enter your abdominal cavity. A ruptured colon requires emergency surgery and may be fatal.

A hole in your large intestine (bowel perforation). This is rare and results from extensive damage to the lining of your large intestine. A perforated bowel can spill bacteria from the intestine into your abdominal cavity, leading to a life-threatening infection (peritonitis).

Death. Even mild to moderate C. difficile infections can quickly progress to a fatal disease if not treated promptly.