Bonnie Pokoo-Aikins needs you

June 10, 2025

wow. WOW! This beautiful lady is hanging in there as the doctors perform more surgeries and she endures more major discomfort to heal. She returned on the 7th from another trip to Stanford. They were able to take biopsies, look both “up” and “down”, break up her infected kidney stones and put in a temporary stent to drain it all. The stent is now out and she is laying low to heal from all that disruption! They are thinking that her gastrointestinal issues have been a problem since childhood and without being diagnosed and treated, the CIDP and Lupus took over. She has also been diagnosed with Diverticulosis.

Please join us in thanking King Jesus for giving the doctors wisdom and being her healer!

These trips to Stanford take their toll both physically and financially. Please also join us in thanking Him for being her Great Provider!

April 30-

Please pray. Bonnie is a trooper, holding up as the great mom and friend she is, while she recovers from the additional damage to her body from the car accident. And without a car! She is remaining positive and trusting that her body and her finances will heal and be made new! 

April 28, 2025

Well, my friends it is time for another update on my darling daughter, Bonnie… She is still very much dealing with her severe health issues. They have discovered that on top of her rare CIDP autoimmune disease, she has lupus and a lot of unknowns still out there. Ugh! She had a last minute CT scan last week to check on the stones that she had in her kidney and in her bladder to see if it was still there. Scan showed that yes it is indeed still there, unfortunately. So she headed on up to Stanford on Wednesday to have surgery procedure on Thursday. As you know, the 3 1/2 hour drive is extremely hard on her physically, even as a passenger. Thankfully, I have a sister that lives not too far from Stanford so they were able to stay there. So Thursday early afternoon, as they were waiting to turn into Stanford for her appointment, they were horrifically rear ended while at the red light! The woman that hit them did not even slow down so both her and her boyfriend, Ben, ended up in the emergency room from the trauma. Her wonderful doctor came all the way over to the building where the ED is just to see her and talk to her. Needless to say, her surgery was canceled and will be re-scheduled when the additional inflammation from the car accident subsides. We are praying and hoping that the jolt from the accident “dislodges” and the stone passes on its own. Both Ben and Bonnie were able to leave the ER Praise God! They were not able to drive back home on Friday, but did make it home Saturday evening in a rental, leaving her car to be repaired to what will most likely cost about $15,000. MERCY! She is rescheduling her surgeries (stone and uterine hystoscopy, and EGD and colonoscopy) in the next few weeks. Bonnie says, “we are praising God for our safety and know that everything happens for a reason and we know the Holy Spirits working in all of these situations, most of which we know little about! We trust with everything we’ve got. King Jesus has the rest covered.”

Update 3/18/25

We are back from another Stanford run, this time we were actually scheduled and planned praise God!

I was able to do a 5 hour digestive study which was super easy, another praise God after some of the horrible stuff lately! We also saw a couple specialists while we were there, however when I met with the anesthesia team they were not comfortable with me having the EGD and stomach biopsies and colonoscopy. Because of the instability of my heart lately I need to see a cardiologist for further evaluations as well as continue the testing of my “Unstable Mabel”tumor before I can be under anesthesia. One step forward, two steps back.

This morning I met with another Urologist. They believe my kidney is still infected and that the stone has blocked and caused further issues. I’m on more (5th round) antibiotics, and now scheduled for surgery next month. I will be doing a lot more testing and back and forth before then. please keep us in your prayers. The amount of work up and testing is a full time job in itself. It’s draining on all of us. Please keep those prayers coming! I know King Jesus has a plan and we are going to make sure His plan is the ONLY one that will prevail!! Love you all so so much

Feb 9, 2024

Bonnie returned to Stanford yesterday because she has been suffering with high blood pressure, muscles locking up, spasms, difficulty seeing and thinking - to name a few. She has been admitted and is undergoing more testing to be sure of what is causing this. One thing they have discovered is a pheochromocytoma tumor

(here is a link of explanation- https://www.adrenal.com/pheochromocytoma/overview)

As you read, it is believed that this type of rare tumor is most likely causing all these issues and is usually benign. They are going to do a bit more testing to be sure that this is what is causing so much trauma for her and if so take it out! That is where we are now. I will update more as we find out…. To be continued

On a fun note, I got this picture and caption from Bonnie today:

“Only good part about being in the hospital….. “”Stanford Baked Custard”  soooooo yum!”

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Just when I thought it was safe to not update as often… Bonnie received some important results today… from our conversation a few minutes ago…

From Bonnie: “But you can add that to the GFM as an update. Tell them they found a tumor on my adrenal gland on my Kidney, trying to get a game plan and get it removed so my whole body can stabilize. Right now it’s made a lot of issues”

From Bonnie this morning:

”So it’s throwing my BP high and HR super high and makes me feel like shit twice a day as my hormones fluctuate and then it makes me sick and in more pain. When my CIDP in my stomach acts up then it throws them off even more. It’s the absolute worst torture. A very very rare tumor that throws off hormones and for me because my nerves are exposed the spasms that the tumor causes causes my muscles to eat away at themselves and is super painful. But I might be able to get myself stable so I’m desperately trying. The HS has given me the best tools that help more than meds. I have a crazy upper respiratory infection I’m fighting now and my lymphatic system is jacked again. It felt better two days ago and it’s been getting worse again. So pray I can kick these infections so I can get to be able to exercise and get more oxygen to my muscles”

I GOOGLED ADRENAL GLANDS: Adrenal gland: Function, hormones, and disorders

Adrenal gland - Wikipedia

What You Need to Know. Adrenal glands, also known as suprarenal glands, are small, triangular-shaped glands located on top of both kidneys. Adrenal glands produce hormones that help regulate your metabolism, immune system, blood pressure, response to stress and other essential functions.

May God bless all of you for your love, prayers and generosity in helping Bonnie through this very tough time. We love you! ❤️❤️

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I will do my best to fill you all in on the incredibly horrible health issues Bonnie is still dealing with. I had no idea the severity and as more and more test results come in, we are learning so much!

Bonnie was admitted to Stanford on January 30th and she insisted on being released (for now) on February 3rd. Because she is so very very sick, Stanford wanted her to stay for at least another week… more on that later.

She is on some “Big Gun” antibiotics fighting several strains of bacteria in her blood as well as a bad case of sepsis. Because these infections spread they lowered her blood oxygen to dangerous levels and caused her muscles to be “eaten alive” creating an extraordinary amount of pain, on top of the intense pain she is already continuously in from her rare auto-immune disease, CIDP. (Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy which means that her body turns on itself and destroys the myelin sheath that is there to protect the nerves, leaving her with exposed nerves throughout her body).

On Thursday, Jan 30th, on their way out of town, Bonnie shared with me that she felt like if she didn’t go in she “wouldn’t make it”. Stanford doctors told her on their own that had she not gone in she most likely wouldn’t have woken up one day soon. At one time while still at Stanford, she felt like she was out of her body and woke up to the medical staff performing emergency rapid response! That was extremely scary for both her and her boyfriend, Ben. They are both so very thankful that King Jesus spared her life and kept her on this earth with her family. Me too!

Upon arrival they found that she had a uti, norovirus and infected kidney stones. At the time we thought this was bad enough - which it was- but we had not learned that her poor body is needing many more miracles! At one point she passed a “huge kidney stone” and it bled. It wasn’t until they did a CT scan that they saw that her stomach and intestines were 3 x the normal size.

She has had thousands of tests done and some results are still coming in. Some of the issues revealed are that she has major circulatory issues causing lack of oxygen to her whole body. She will need a lot of PT to get her circulation right and to stop her cardiac system from getting worse. This is why her muscles are damaged and cause severe spasms. She has dealt with these painful and strong spasms for several years.

The infections had gotten so bad that they were/and to some extent still are, affecting her brain (no clarity of thinking or movement, seizures, she couldn’t see, talk, or type and caused her body to lock up) also causing systematic inflammation attacks that spike her blood pressure and heart rate to dangerous numbers.

They have also discovered that she has absorption issues causing, among other things, her pain meds to not work enough. For someone living with the continuous pain from CIDP, this needs this absorption issue to be healed asap.

So, with sepsis and lupus markers up so high, there are lots more tests that will need to be done. They will also be testing for some other rare diseases and serious health issues. They are also realizing that most likely her CIDP and GI issues started when she was about 13 years old.

She will be going back to Stanford many times for more tests and appointments, as well as seeing some new doctors and receiving needed therapies.

Bonnie has been blessed to be seeing into the spiritual realm. It was in one of these miraculous moments that the Holy Spirit made it clear to her that she could safely go home at this time and get much needed sleep (she hadn’t slept more than 3 hours in 9 days). She had also been begging the nurses to let her “be in the water” as she so desparately felt she needed to be. She was told that because she was on IV antibiotics and they were monitoring her urine levels, she couldn’t shower or bathe at that time. The next day a close friend of her’s and Ben’s called and said that God had told him that Bonnie needed to “be in water”!! It was after that that the Holy Spirit confirmed to her that it was safe for her to return home at that time. So when she got home she enjoyed a long bath and then slept so deeply!! Praise Jesus!!

Today this sweet lady is feeling a bit rested but very sore and her diarrhea and stiffness is again bothering her. Her pain levels are up and we are praying that her pain doctor (here, not at Stanford) would do as Stanford wants and change her pain meds and get them filled ASAP. I just called again for the third day in a row with no response or help. Can I just state the obvious? STANFORD IS AMAZINGLY FANTASTICALLY WONDERFUL!!

Please continue to storm the Throne Room with prayers for Bonnies health. We love and appreciate the generosity you are showing with finances to help with these ASTRONOMICAL Medical bills, as well as the generous time you are spending in prayer for her healing .

Feb 3rd… even though the doctors and nurses wanted Bonnie to stay longer she just couldn’t handle having only 3 total hours of sleep in 9 days. So they sent in scripts for some knarley antibiotics and sent her off.

She is home now and doing all she can to get some sleep. She is also writing up some words about the mighty things that God did during her stay so stay tuned- that will be included soon!

We are so appreciative for all the generous donations and deep prayers for her. We will continue to keep you updated❤️‍❤️‍. Please share and stay in prayer!!

Much Love to all of you and yours!

Feb 2nd cont…

Stanford is treating her uti, infected kidney stone and norovirus. They are also trying to find out what pain (which is all over her body) is from the CIDP and what is something else. Continued prayers are greatly appreciated.

Bonnie is still very sick. Stanford is doing so many tests and screenings. They are trying to find out what pain is CIDP and what is something else. She still has not gotten any sleep and that in itself is miserable. She is getting frustrated and wants to go home but this Mama is praying she stays until they get all the answers and treat all they can.

Her inflammation has gone down some and this photo from yesterday shows improvement!

Thank you for all your mighty prayers and your generous donations. You are all huge blessings!

Feb 1 update

they have discovered that, among other things, Bonnie has Norovirus. They are treating that and continuing with a lot of testing because it is clear there is more going on with her. They are also testing to find out where pain is coming from whether it is the norovirus, the Stiff Person Disease, the CIDP, and what else. We are so very thankful that she is at Stanford because they are being so vigilant in her care.

Thank you for the many blessings of Prayer and also the donations that are receiving some of the pain or medical and home expenses during this very difficult time. You are so very appreciated and loved.

thank you for sharing to your social platforms of choice and to anyone else that will lift Bonnie up in prayer.

with grateful hearts,

Bonnie, her children, and me- her Mom

todays update - Jan 31, 2025

Bonnie was in dire need of medical attention. Her pain and fire throughout her body caused her to make the drive (ride) up to Stanford. She is there now, still in the ED. They have run several tests and we are waiting on the results. She clearly has some pretty severe issues beyond her CIDP. Your prayers and donations are a huge blessing and a relief for her. Thank you all so much. Please share this to your social pages.

This is how she describes what she is feeling:

” I’m way way worse. It’s spread and they don’t know what’s going on. I’m having worse problems with my stomach then the horrific stuff I’ve had since i was 13, but now it’s caused damage and is affecting my organs and I’m having a full body severe inflammation reactions that aren’t going away. I now have brain and eye spasms and my pancreas is inflamed so it’s so painful I can’t be upright or eat or sleep and it’s causing a nerve reaction so I’m spasming and feels like I am being electrocuted and burned inside all over my body now not just my legs. I have growths all over my neck that haven’t gone away. Super super scary so please pray big time for us. I am desperate for them to find out how to help me because the toll it’s taking on me is insane and I’m trying to stay positive but it’s a lot. I know King Jesus is my only solution and cure so I am believing that!” that was her words on 1/30/25…

My name is Laurie Knotts. I have the honor of being Bonnie’s mom and Grandma to her beautiful 4 children.

Before you read further, I have an update as of today, 1/29/25: Bonnie is experiencing some very severe intestinal and digestive issues. She is bloated and the pain is outrageous and in her digestive organs now. The drs are going to send her for multiple tests as it appears that she has more than just the CIDP going on- as if that debilitating disease isn’t enough. Please be praying for her and to give the doctors wisdom and direction.

I am saddened to say that Bonnie’s horrible autoimmune disease has only gotten worse. She has CIDP: Chromic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy. Which basically means that the protective myelin sheath that covers our nerves has been destroyed. So this poor woman’s nerves are exposed throughout the inside of her body, leaving her in constant and severe pain, numbness, nausea, and so much more. The saddest part is that she isn’t able to be the kind of mom she wants to be, unable to play catch, enjoy outings, take vacations or even rarely enjoy a family meal together. She is unable to work in the field she worked so hard to accomplish- her passion to be the Registered Nurse she longs to be again, the heart-warming service she is so good at, has all had to be put aside as she is no longer able to provide these services, and unable to provide for her family.

To add to her pain, she is constantly fighting with insurance companies to cover her medical needs, crying to doctors to help relieve her pain, pleading with authorities to not cancel her disability payments, and struggling to pay her mortgage, buy food, pay her bills and all of life’s expenses, and joys, most of us take for granted.

I humbly ask that you would pray fervently for this delightful woman, who has always been a generous source of love and resources for those around her, and to also repost this to your communication means of choice.

If you are able, I ask that you would consider a donation to this GFM that will bless Bonnie so deeply and uplift her family in so many ways.

It is with a mother’s hurting heart that I send this out to all of you.

With deep gratitude I thank you for the prayers and love you are able to send her way.

Laurie Knotts