Help Katie Get Back On Her Feet
Donation protected
Eight months ago I gave birth to my beautiful little girl Savannah. Eight days afterwards I woke up in a pain worse than child birth. The ambulance took me to the hospital and the MRI showed I had a spinal and brain subarachnoid hemorrhage with myelopathy. The doctor performed a laminectomy to remove the blood clot. My health was declining but they said not to worry it was just healing pain. After two weeks of being at the hospital bed ridden my family decided to transfer me to a hospital in Miami to see one of the best neurosurgeon’s in the country. He really is amazing. Upon arriving they found a spinal fluid leak, tumor on my spine and other issues. He fixed what the other doctor did/did not do and removed the tumor. He said if I would have stayed at the other hospital one more day I would have died with all of the pain medication I was given. After a total of six weeks in the hospital I finally went home to my newborn and husband to heal.
I have had complications ever since the first surgery. Every five weeks my health declines and the Dr’s find other issues from cysts forming to my spinal cord tethering and re tethering in different areas of my spinal cord. As of now the diagnosis is unclear. I am now on my fifth spinal surgery in 8 months. We are praying this is the last.
Unfortunately all of these events have caused me to have 24/7 care for myself and Savannah either from family, friends and my husband Andrew. Thank God for them . I am not one to ask for help but the medical bills/expenses keep piling up and I cannot work for the foreseeable future.
Before this all started I had a great job and plans to buy a house and take care of my beautiful baby girl. I never imagined life would take me here. I believe it is for a reason and I hope to help others like me when I get well. It just shows no matter what you plan for your future, it can be taken away at any moment. It breaks my heart to ask for help but at this point I have no choice.
Thank you for your support and kindness through this tough time. Anything given is appreciated.
I have had complications ever since the first surgery. Every five weeks my health declines and the Dr’s find other issues from cysts forming to my spinal cord tethering and re tethering in different areas of my spinal cord. As of now the diagnosis is unclear. I am now on my fifth spinal surgery in 8 months. We are praying this is the last.
Unfortunately all of these events have caused me to have 24/7 care for myself and Savannah either from family, friends and my husband Andrew. Thank God for them . I am not one to ask for help but the medical bills/expenses keep piling up and I cannot work for the foreseeable future.
Before this all started I had a great job and plans to buy a house and take care of my beautiful baby girl. I never imagined life would take me here. I believe it is for a reason and I hope to help others like me when I get well. It just shows no matter what you plan for your future, it can be taken away at any moment. It breaks my heart to ask for help but at this point I have no choice.
Thank you for your support and kindness through this tough time. Anything given is appreciated.
Organizer
Katie Pettinga
Organizer
Fort Lauderdale, FL
