Carmen Perez & Guillain-Barre
Donation protected
It took a mere seven days for Carmen Perez, a 47 year old wife, mother, and grandmother, to go from a vibrant, energetic woman to an ICU bed basically paralyzed from the neck down, unable to breathe on her own or move her arms, legs, hands, feet or body. Carmen was recently diagnosed with Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS), an extremely rare and catastrophic auto immune disorder that can sometimes follow infections such as influenza. GBS wreaks havoc on the immune system and is life threatening. Unfortunately, due to the horrible nature of this disease, although Carmen is unable to move, she can feel everything and suffers from extreme nerve pain throughout her body. Please read Carmen's story below and donate if possible. Most importantly, share this with everyone you know so we can spread the word about this debilitating disease as early detection and treatment are key.
In April, Carmen became ill with a case of the flu. She thought she was recovering, but a week later she started experiencing severe muscle weakness. She was taken to the emergency room and was diagnosed with a simple urinary tract infection and sent home and told to follow up with her doctor. A few days later she started to experience numbness and tingling in her hands and feet with increased muscle weakness. The doctors at the walk in clinic said it was a reaction to the antibiotics and had her stop taking the medication. Two days later, when her condition had not improved, the doctors suggested that she go back to the emergency room. On the second trip to the emergency room she was told her symptoms were because she had forgotten to take her Thyroid medication and that she had anxiety. Once again she was sent home and told to rest and the symptoms would pass. The following day a third trip was made back to the emergency room where she was finally admitted and diagnosed with GBS. To learn more about Guillain Barre Syndrome you can follow this link, http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/guillain-barre-syndrome/basics/definition/con-20025832.
Carmen is currently in intensive care at Saint Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Boise, where she has been since 4/22/16. She is on a respirator and will remain on it for two to three weeks until her condition stabilizes. At that time, the Doctors will begin weaning Carmen off of the respirator a few minutes at a time while her body learns to breathe on its own again. Her estimated stay in the hospital alone is 5 to 6 weeks. From there she will need to go to a rehabilitation facility where she will continue her recovery which could be as long as 6 months to one year. There is no way to know at this time what the extent of the damage is, but we hope and pray for a full recovery.
Marty Perez, Carmen's husband, would like everyone to know that she is the love of his life. Some of her favorite things are hanging out at the lake with family, building puzzles, playing Pinochle, her two dogs Gus and Akira, and most of all, Carmen cherishes her family and adores her two Grandchildren Sydney and Carter. (pictured below) She has worked for the United States Postal service for nearly 20 years and is a member of the APWU. She does have insurance, but unfortunately, insurance does not cover all the expenses, like out of pocket totals, traveling expenses and loss of income. Marty will be off work as well until Carmen is out of the ICU and able to breathe on her own again.
Marty is so grateful for all of your thoughts and prayers. In answer to the question, “What can I do?” Marty asks that you pray for Carmen. If you have a few dollars to spare and can donate, this would be much appreciated. More importantly, Marty would like to make sure that others are made aware of this catastrophic disease as well as the early signs and symptoms in hopes that others may be able to be diagnosed and treated more quickly. In the unlikely event that more is raised than Carmen will need, Marty will donate the remainder to Guillain Barre research and awareness campaigns. We’ve set an arbitrary goal of $50,000 for now because we just don’t know yet how high the expenses will go. All funds will be deposited in an account created for Carmen's medical needs and controlled by Marty.
Please help ease this family's burden during this difficult time. We are confident that through faith, love, and perseverance, Carmen WILL be home with her family again. THANK YOU!
In April, Carmen became ill with a case of the flu. She thought she was recovering, but a week later she started experiencing severe muscle weakness. She was taken to the emergency room and was diagnosed with a simple urinary tract infection and sent home and told to follow up with her doctor. A few days later she started to experience numbness and tingling in her hands and feet with increased muscle weakness. The doctors at the walk in clinic said it was a reaction to the antibiotics and had her stop taking the medication. Two days later, when her condition had not improved, the doctors suggested that she go back to the emergency room. On the second trip to the emergency room she was told her symptoms were because she had forgotten to take her Thyroid medication and that she had anxiety. Once again she was sent home and told to rest and the symptoms would pass. The following day a third trip was made back to the emergency room where she was finally admitted and diagnosed with GBS. To learn more about Guillain Barre Syndrome you can follow this link, http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/guillain-barre-syndrome/basics/definition/con-20025832.
Carmen is currently in intensive care at Saint Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Boise, where she has been since 4/22/16. She is on a respirator and will remain on it for two to three weeks until her condition stabilizes. At that time, the Doctors will begin weaning Carmen off of the respirator a few minutes at a time while her body learns to breathe on its own again. Her estimated stay in the hospital alone is 5 to 6 weeks. From there she will need to go to a rehabilitation facility where she will continue her recovery which could be as long as 6 months to one year. There is no way to know at this time what the extent of the damage is, but we hope and pray for a full recovery.
Marty Perez, Carmen's husband, would like everyone to know that she is the love of his life. Some of her favorite things are hanging out at the lake with family, building puzzles, playing Pinochle, her two dogs Gus and Akira, and most of all, Carmen cherishes her family and adores her two Grandchildren Sydney and Carter. (pictured below) She has worked for the United States Postal service for nearly 20 years and is a member of the APWU. She does have insurance, but unfortunately, insurance does not cover all the expenses, like out of pocket totals, traveling expenses and loss of income. Marty will be off work as well until Carmen is out of the ICU and able to breathe on her own again.
Marty is so grateful for all of your thoughts and prayers. In answer to the question, “What can I do?” Marty asks that you pray for Carmen. If you have a few dollars to spare and can donate, this would be much appreciated. More importantly, Marty would like to make sure that others are made aware of this catastrophic disease as well as the early signs and symptoms in hopes that others may be able to be diagnosed and treated more quickly. In the unlikely event that more is raised than Carmen will need, Marty will donate the remainder to Guillain Barre research and awareness campaigns. We’ve set an arbitrary goal of $50,000 for now because we just don’t know yet how high the expenses will go. All funds will be deposited in an account created for Carmen's medical needs and controlled by Marty.
Please help ease this family's burden during this difficult time. We are confident that through faith, love, and perseverance, Carmen WILL be home with her family again. THANK YOU!
Organizer and beneficiary
Penny Fritzler
Organizer
Meridian, ID
WIlliam Perez
Beneficiary