Team Erin

On Sunday, December 29th, Erin suffered a cardiac event while celebrating a delayed Christmas with our family. Leading up to our Christmas celebration, Erin was suffering from anxiety and had struggled to eat, drink, or keep anything down for days.

These "anxious" episodes were something we all were aware of, and Erin was taking the steps through therapy and doctors to support her through these challenges.

After days of her body being depleted of electrolytes, her potassium dropped so low we believe she started having unrecognized seizures earlier in the day, eventually leading to her heart stopping while opening Christmas gifts.

We thank God we were all present when she lost consciousness and were able to start CPR and call medics immediately. After harrowing minutes which seemed like hours, Erin was stabilized, put on a vent, and eventually moved from Novant Huntersville to Presbyterian Main where she remained sedated on a vent for several days. Doctors warned us she may not wake up from sedation due to the extent of her brain damage and if she did, would likely be on a vent for several months. Against all odds, Erin was off the sedation and vent in less than a week.

For the last 4 weeks, Erin's "Core 4" of her sister (Amy), mom (Jan), dad (John), and fiancé (Greg) have been by her side 24/7. This has been required to ensure she is safe as she awoke from a coma very confused and agitated. We know our presence, love, and care is essential to her long-term recovery.

Erin's improvements over the past week can only be described as miraculous. She is working so hard to relearn how to move her body and communicate. Medical teams are in awe of how well she is doing, and we are eager to find the best rehabilitation facility to aid in Erin's recovery. We know this road will be long, but as I have told her, we have nothing but time. We are creating this page to help support Erin's medical bills and ensuring the "Core 4" is able to continue to be by her side during her rehabilitation stay.