Our mom, Masako Ishii was admitted to the hospital 17 days ago on Thursday, July 29 for what we initially thought was COVID long haul. It turns out that it was far more serious than we could have ever imagined.

We spoke to my mom during hospital visits or on the phone every day. On the 8th day, her condition had worsened to the point that she needed high flow oxygen in the ICU. After five days in the ICU, and despite all of her other organs functioning perfectly, her oxygen levels plummeted and she was sedated, paralyzed, and put on a ventilator at maximum oxygen flow.

Her condition fluctuated between stable and critical, and the hospital began looking to transfer her to a larger hospital that had specialist teams and medications to assist in her diagnosis and treatment.

She was transferred to Rush on Thursday, August 12 where the rheumatology team diagnosed her with a rare and deadly autoimmune disease called MDA5 Dermatomyositis that rapidly attacked her lungs and caused acute hypoxia respiratory failure. They immediately began treatment but it was far too late and the disease was far too aggressive.

On Saturday, August 14 at 2:34pm, she passed away at only 63 years old leaving her family shattered and in disbelief. The lack of oxygen caused her heart to beat at an unsustainable rate and her body could just no longer keep fighting.

Our mom's wish was to be buried next to her father in Kawasaki, Japan. We want to honor that request but unfortunately it's going to require a tremendous amount of money, and regretfully mom didn't have life insurance. Between hospital bills, travel expenses, funeral arrangements and a burial plot for her cremains in Japan, and a service here in the Chicago area for her U.S. friends, the family is simply overwhelmed.

We understand that times are hard for everyone right now, but we would appreciate anything that you are able and willing to contribute to her final wish.