My name is Katrina, this is my daughter, our beloved, Katelyn. She was my husbands' and I first born.

Katelyn was one of the most jovial, humble, loving and kind persons I knew. She was always smiling, and her bubbly personality and laugh was infectious! She had a voice sent from heaven and her ability to dance in Spirit drew God within the midst every time. She loved her sisters and brother unconditionally and she loved her parents but above all, she loved the Lord!

Katelyn was diagnosed with having Lupus at the age of 12. Even though some days were rough and painful, she never complained. When she was able to, she fought through the pain and accomplished whatever that task was at the moment (especially when it came to dancing in church). She always knew within herself, she would make a difference somehow.

Katelyn fell ill with what we thought was the flu (being that we are in that season), but when she started feeling sharp pains, we knew it had to be more. She went into the hospital on Sunday 14th December, and was rushed over to St Louis Children's Hospital for specialized treatment because it was found that she had pneumonia and a pleural effusion (fluid around the left lung). There, they immediately gave meds to relieve the pain, but contemplated whether or not to drain the fluid. On that Wednesday, they came to the conclusion that they weren't going to drain the fluid, but instead give her a diuretic to help her pee it out and have her try breathing deep to expand her lungs. Friday 19th, she started to complain about terrible shoulder pains, they again, gave her meds to relieve the pain, along with a pain patch. Saturday 20th, she was discharged with antibiotics to take at home. Monday 22nd @ 4 am, my baby's shoulder pain had now radiated to her chest. Called the ambulance, arrived at the hospital to be told now that not only was the fluid still around her lung, it was now also around her heart, and her heart was struggling. She went into AFib, and had to be rushed back to St Louis Children's. Immediately upon arrival, she was sedated and intubated. During sedation, her heart stopped! And for a second when they told me that, so did mine! They did chest compressions for TWENTY FIVE MINUTES before they were able to put her on a heart pump. By that time, they told me my baby had no brain activity because of the lack of oxygen for that long period of time. Again, my heart felt like it had stopped. For the next 4 days, my family and I, along with friends all over the world, prayed and stood in faith believing that she would be healed and restored. Their final test on her was Friday 26th December at 4:08 pm when they called her time of death. Even then, we kept the faith. Until around 7 the next morning when the Lord spoke to me and said "She is with Me, you can rest!" At that moment the realization that she wasn't coming back set in. My husband and I felt the peace, but at the same time, our hearts shattered. She was gone! Our baby who fought through the pain and discomfort gracefully, who even though she missed A LOT of days from school received a 2.75 gpa, AND graduated early from highschool (Friday 19th Dec, was her last official day as a student), our baby who was making sooo much plans that would've made us soo much more proud of her, was GONE!

We are now having to think about things that no parent should. How and when to bury our child...

But we are asking the help of our family and friends and those who Katelyn's heart may have touched.

My husband and I are both paid hourly, but we've been away from work since she went into the hospital.

We're asking for your help with sending our baby off the way she deserves. Your help, big or small, will be very greatly appreciated!

I also have Cashapp if that's better for some.

Cashapp: $K8ieO

For persons in the Bahamas who would like to assist:

Name: Katrina Oliver

Bank: CIBC First Caribbean

Branch: Carmichael Road

Transit: 09736

Account: 201708957

Type: Chequing

Thank you in advance for helping to make the next few weeks a little more easier.