My mom, Holly, has been in the hospital 6 full weeks - 1 week at Mercy in Dubuque, IA and 5 weeks in Iowa City and now into week 6 in IC. It took 3 days for them to find the problem, a massive bacterial infection in her heart, an issue too complex for Mercy to deal with. What followed after her transfer to Iowa City has been weeks of trouble breathing and reduced (almost non existent) kidney function leading to edema that they were trying to get under control to make the surgery safer. They finally did open heart surgery on August 4th and replaced 2 heart valves that were compromised by the infection. Her original hospital stay started on July 7th. She is currently still in the ICU but hoping to soon move to the general hospital floor or be transferred to an extended care facility in Davenport, IA for continued care. She has a long road ahead still, but things are looking optimistic.

If you know our family, you know we rarely ask for help - even when we really should. But we could definitely use it right now. There's been a lot of driving back and forth, a lot of hospital stays, a lot of gas and food expenses, and a lot of missed work and farmers market so that she didn't spend too much time alone in the hospital. And there's still more ahead as we have no release date in sight.

Anything you can give is greatly appreciated and if you can't, you know we understand! But please share in case others are able!

Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and support throughout this time