Evie’s Misadventures: Help Fix Her Broken-Ness

Hi, my name is Selene, and I am raising much-needed funds for my dear friend Evie Walker after an unprecedented medical crisis. I have known Evie for many years – she is an incredible sister, daughter, and friend.

Evie is the person you can count on. She is the person who hand delivers flowers and chocolates to someone else’s parents on behalf of a child halfway across the continent. She is the person who’d carry you down a mountain in style but would much rather guide you safely to the top. She is the person who sends you (painfully) hilarious memes of herself being a burrito wrapped in hospital dressings, because her strength can shine through anything.

I am proud to call Evie my friend and I think the world needs more people like her… but at the very least, the world needs to keep her longer.

On the 20th of June, Evie was stoked to be in a heli-drop skiing excursion when she collapsed. She became delirious, started vomiting, and was too weak to continue on. It was a sunny day and heat stroke was suspected.

One of Evie’s skiing companions, Shawn, was able to call for a rescue helicopter (shout out to Coastal Helicopters) pickup while her sister, Sage, controlled the situation. We are incredibly grateful that those who were with Evie were able to flag the helicopter and get her to urgent care – otherwise this may have been the end of the story.

Evie was held at the urgent care in Juneau where her resting heart rate hovered around 130 BPM. She was sent to the ER immediately afterwards, where it was determined that she was experiencing something called a “thyroid storm” – an acute, life threatening complication of hyperthyroidism.

Evie was held in Juneau at Bartlett Regional Hospital overnight. Sage stayed until they were able to medivac her (along with her awesome mother) to Providence Hospital in Anchorage for further diagnostics. There are no endocrinologists in Juneau.

Evie’s heart was still racing despite their best efforts and the administration of beta blockers, a form of medication – and being prone in bed – and it took about 48 hrs of being held in the hospital for her heart to stabilize at about 115 BPM. Evie remained hospitalized for another night and was discharged later the next day.

This is when we learned that Evie has been living with undiagnosed Grave’s Disease; an autoimmune disease that can result in hyperthyroidism and many other serious complications. For at least the last year, Evie's body has been creating the circumstances that lead to the “storm”. Evie had been noticing symptoms – things like sudden fatigue during normal exercise, brain fog, anemia, loss of muscle mass, and losing weight – but her concerns were dismissed as anxiety.

If we can be grateful for anything right now, it is that Evie now has a confirmed diagnosis and is developing a plan to get the care that she needs.

Evie is fighting hard by resting hard, here is how we can help: by alleviating some of the financial burden incurred by this medical crisis and showing her that we have her back. The same way she has always had ours.

Evie’s most pressing concerns are threefold:

1. The immediate cost of her hospitalizations, and related transport

2. The immediate cost of essential living items such as rent, utilities, and maintenance medications (Evie is unable to work at full capacity for the time being, but she is working)

3. The upcoming costs associated with ongoing care – this includes supplemental medications, follow up appointments, and trips to a specialized endocrinologist. Evie will need to work hard to stabilize her condition, and specialized diagnostics are essential to determining what she will need to do.

At this time, we are unsure of how deep the rabbit hole goes. Evie will need time to figure out what medications and treatments work for her body. She will also need to see doctors who can assess whether she is at risk for more serious complications.

Any and all funds raised here are intended to alleviate financial strain caused by medical expenses, living expenses, and loss of wages due to reduced physical capacity. We hope that giving Evie some stability can help her focus on healing.

Evie is a dearly beloved member of our community, someone who has always been ready to lend a hand to those in need. We would so appreciate your help in lending her our hands in this time of need.

We have your back, Evie! We love you!!