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In January 2020, my beloved daughter Paula fell terribly ill. After countless trips to the ER with high-grade fevers of 40 degrees and severe abdominal pain, every doctor that she was seen by dismissed and discharged her without an explanation for her illness.
On March 22nd, her nightmare began. Paula was taken by ambulance and admitted to the hospital after which doctors found ulcers in her colon and a severe infection in her bowels. She was told by the doctor that this was in fact Chron's disease and that her infection needed surgery right away. Days after the surgery, Paula woke up with the same severe pain that she was experiencing and a new concerning fever. Despite these signs of illness, she was sent home. Within 40 minutes of returning home, she was taken by ambulance to the hospital to have the second emergency surgery for the severe infection that had returned.
The second surgery went well and for the first couple of days, Paula was feeling better. On the third day, we knew alarm bells were ringing. Her fever reached 41 degrees and her heart rate was abnormally high which was accompanied by extremely low blood pressure. Paula was in septic shock. My husband and I were literally watching our daughter die right in front of us. Her worst nightmare had now turned into ours.
Paula was monitored very closely by the ICU and had a team of 3 surgeons working on her case. Throughout the next couple of days, we saw Paula slowly deteriorating. While she was stable, she was losing 10 pounds each week and had no life in her face. By God's grace, her situation went from critical to free from infection. We were all optimistic and on our way home to reunite for the Easter weekend with our other two children, Mariana and Daniel.
We were home this time for one day. Paula was in excruciating pain and her fever was climbing again. We knew what this meant, the infection was back. After 2 sleepless nights in the ER, Paula was rushed in for her third surgery. At this point, the doctors confessed that they were puzzled by Paula's case and simply did not know how to proceed. She woke up from her third surgery with the devastating news that they did nothing different and we would 'just have to wait and see'. One day later, Paula fell back into septic shock. This time, it was worse than ever. My husband and I sat at our daughter's bed wondering if these were our last moments with her.
Of course, we knew the pattern by now: Paula was headed back in for surgery. Her fourth surgery in a month.
She is now trying to recover from her last operation and today marks one month of being in the hospital. The doctors are still working on what the next steps are for Paula as she is currently presenting a new infection. Every day has been different. Every day I wake up and wonder if today will be the day we go home or the day I lose my daughter.
Paula is a selfless soul filled with unconditional love to give others. During these extremely difficult times, she has been away from those she loves most. Before she got sick, she was a go-getter entrepreneur. She was working 2 part-time jobs that she genuinely enjoyed while running her own food photography content creation business. My daughter lives every moment with a smile on her face and a purpose in her heart. During her stay here, many doctors and nurses have told her that she is a very special person that is full of light. Despite the hell that she is going through, she still wakes up with a smile on her face, thanking God for another day of life.
Paula is a daughter, sister, friend, niece, granddaughter, cousin, and girlfriend. Those who love my daughter know the type of person she is. They know the way that she lights up a room when she walks in and how with just a few words, she can brighten your day. Her family is extremely worried and devastated that she has to be going through this. We wish that we could take the pain away.
At the moment, we are working on clearing the infection so that she can start treating Chron's disease. Her treatment plan will consist of Remicade and other medications. This treatment is every 6 weeks and each dose costs between $2500-$3000. Paula has a long road ahead of her to fully recover. She will be needing assistance from occupational therapy as she has to learn to walk and sit in her new body. These are all costs which we were never prepared for as this situation was completely unexpected.
Our family would like to give a sincere thank you to those who have already been helping in any way they can. We are asking for any extra help we can get. It would mean the world to Paula and our family to have some financial assistance at this time. Any little bit helps.
With love,
The Sojo's
On March 22nd, her nightmare began. Paula was taken by ambulance and admitted to the hospital after which doctors found ulcers in her colon and a severe infection in her bowels. She was told by the doctor that this was in fact Chron's disease and that her infection needed surgery right away. Days after the surgery, Paula woke up with the same severe pain that she was experiencing and a new concerning fever. Despite these signs of illness, she was sent home. Within 40 minutes of returning home, she was taken by ambulance to the hospital to have the second emergency surgery for the severe infection that had returned.
The second surgery went well and for the first couple of days, Paula was feeling better. On the third day, we knew alarm bells were ringing. Her fever reached 41 degrees and her heart rate was abnormally high which was accompanied by extremely low blood pressure. Paula was in septic shock. My husband and I were literally watching our daughter die right in front of us. Her worst nightmare had now turned into ours.
Paula was monitored very closely by the ICU and had a team of 3 surgeons working on her case. Throughout the next couple of days, we saw Paula slowly deteriorating. While she was stable, she was losing 10 pounds each week and had no life in her face. By God's grace, her situation went from critical to free from infection. We were all optimistic and on our way home to reunite for the Easter weekend with our other two children, Mariana and Daniel.
We were home this time for one day. Paula was in excruciating pain and her fever was climbing again. We knew what this meant, the infection was back. After 2 sleepless nights in the ER, Paula was rushed in for her third surgery. At this point, the doctors confessed that they were puzzled by Paula's case and simply did not know how to proceed. She woke up from her third surgery with the devastating news that they did nothing different and we would 'just have to wait and see'. One day later, Paula fell back into septic shock. This time, it was worse than ever. My husband and I sat at our daughter's bed wondering if these were our last moments with her.
Of course, we knew the pattern by now: Paula was headed back in for surgery. Her fourth surgery in a month.
She is now trying to recover from her last operation and today marks one month of being in the hospital. The doctors are still working on what the next steps are for Paula as she is currently presenting a new infection. Every day has been different. Every day I wake up and wonder if today will be the day we go home or the day I lose my daughter.
Paula is a selfless soul filled with unconditional love to give others. During these extremely difficult times, she has been away from those she loves most. Before she got sick, she was a go-getter entrepreneur. She was working 2 part-time jobs that she genuinely enjoyed while running her own food photography content creation business. My daughter lives every moment with a smile on her face and a purpose in her heart. During her stay here, many doctors and nurses have told her that she is a very special person that is full of light. Despite the hell that she is going through, she still wakes up with a smile on her face, thanking God for another day of life.
Paula is a daughter, sister, friend, niece, granddaughter, cousin, and girlfriend. Those who love my daughter know the type of person she is. They know the way that she lights up a room when she walks in and how with just a few words, she can brighten your day. Her family is extremely worried and devastated that she has to be going through this. We wish that we could take the pain away.
At the moment, we are working on clearing the infection so that she can start treating Chron's disease. Her treatment plan will consist of Remicade and other medications. This treatment is every 6 weeks and each dose costs between $2500-$3000. Paula has a long road ahead of her to fully recover. She will be needing assistance from occupational therapy as she has to learn to walk and sit in her new body. These are all costs which we were never prepared for as this situation was completely unexpected.
Our family would like to give a sincere thank you to those who have already been helping in any way they can. We are asking for any extra help we can get. It would mean the world to Paula and our family to have some financial assistance at this time. Any little bit helps.
With love,
The Sojo's