Update as of May 21:

Last update we were all upset to hear the news of brain damage from the MRI, yet we have had amazing news since! 

On Sunday morning they were able to remove the ventilator! She has been able to breath on her own and her heart is cooperating. The first couple days this week were a challenge .She was talking minimally, but was still able to have a conversation. The doctors and speech therapists initially struggled with her being able to pass a swallow test, so they had to place a feeding tube. She was very agitated most of the day. They got her up for the first time and walked her to a chair, yet they had to do most of the work. 

However, over the past week she has improved tremendously! Each day she’s able to reach a new goal! As of today, she is able to stand up on her own and walk with a little help all around the nurses station. Getting stronger! 

She is talking so much now and she is able to have conversations with the nurses and her family. She has become less agitated and more calm! She is able to brush her hair and teeth and she’s eating a few more bites with each meal. She’s working with OT and PT and doing amazing! We are so proud of her!

They are keeping her in ICU a while longer while she’s on certain medications. She did have a fever and a high heart rate, but seems to be improving. 

The cardiologist did mention a pacemaker being an option in the near future. Still no answers on what caused this incident in the first place. 

We are so excited at the amount of progress in just a few days! Samantha still has a long road of recovery and rehab and there are still maybe be some unknown challenges ahead, so please continue to keep her in your prayers and share this link❤️ We appreciate all of the support! 

Update as of May 15th:

Sunday, Samantha had a heart pump placed, it seemed to not be improving her heart failure, so they proceeded to put her on ECMO. Right before the prepped her, she had slight improvements so the doctors decided against ECMO which was a huge step forward. 

Over the next couple of days the heart pumped helped tremendously, and she was able to have it removed. She had a heart MRI which came back normal, no abnormalities and no blockages. 

She has been sedated on the ventilator over this time, so they started to try to wean her off the sedation and attempt to remove the ventilator. After a couple days of trial and error of waking her up, She was able to breath on her own over the ventilator as of yesterday. However, they kept the ventilator in and continued sedation over night to continue to monitor and run more tests. 

Unfortunately, They did a brain MRI last night to determine brain function and found brain damage focused on the cerebellum, which works with motor and sensory skills. 

We are waiting for the decision to remove the ventilator, so they can do a full neuro assessment and determine what this damage may cause.  We are praying whatever deficits she may have can be repaired through rehab. 

She has shown good signs despite the sedation drugs still in her system: moving her legs and arms, able to nod yes and no, able to open her eyes for a short period of time and follow cues with her eyes, and able to cough

up secretions. We are unsure if she is completely oriented to what is going on or if she recognizes anyone. 

Today, they will attempt to remove the ventilator, and complete a neuro assessment. In the near future, the plan is to place a defibrillator or a pacemaker. The cause of the initial heart failure is still unknown. 

Please continue to pray for Samantha and her family, and share this link! 

Thank you so much for the donations and support!

Around 1:00 AM Sunday, May 9th, Samantha Nickerson’s heart stopped beating abruptly. Thankfully, her husband, Lucas Nickerson, and her father-in-law were there to perform CPR until the ambulance arrived. She was taken to the Cardiac ICU and is currently fighting for her life on a ventilator.

The cause of this incident is still unknown, so she has a long road ahead of her in the hospital. Fortunately, she has shown many improvements at a quick rate! We are very hopeful and optimistic, yet she is still very critical.

Samantha is graduating Nursing School with her BSN this week, yet she can no longer attend her pinning ceremony nor her graduation ceremony.

Samantha is a beautiful person inside and out, and we are all praying for her immensely.

The medical bills are substantial, and she has a long road to recovery, so please help us raise money to help Samantha and her family for these upcoming financial challenges.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

Please keep Samantha and her family in your prayers ❤️