Dear friends, family, and kindhearted strangers,

We wanted to share an important update on Gabriella’s health journey following her hysterectomy. While the surgery itself went smoothly, she began experiencing serious post-operative complications soon after.

Gabriella had a severe reaction to the anesthesia, and once in recovery, her blood pressure and heart rate dropped dangerously low. She lost consciousness and began to turn blue from low oxygen levels. Thankfully, the medical team was able to stabilize her, but instead of being sent home as expected, she was admitted overnight for monitoring.

In a twist of fate, that decision may have saved her — because soon after, it became clear that her bladder was no longer functioning properly. She went over 12 hours with minimal urine output before they were finally able to successfully catheterize her, discovering that she had been retaining nearly 1,000 milliliters of urine — almost the capacity of a full bladder at risk of rupturing.

Since then, Gabriella has continued to struggle with urinary retention and has required a catheter to empty her bladder. Her doctors now believe this complication may be connected to her Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) — a connective tissue disorder that can also affect the bladder’s nerves and muscles — and that, after removing endometriosis from the bladder, the surgery may have worsened those underlying issues.

Despite a week with the catheter in place, Gabriella failed her voiding trial, meaning her bladder still isn’t working on its own. Her urologist has ordered a series of specialized tests — including a urodynamic study, cystoscopy with retrograde pyelogram, and a voiding cystourethrogram — to determine if her bladder can recover or if she will need a permanent catheter or surgical intervention.

This has been an unexpected and deeply challenging turn in her recovery. Gabriella is unable to return to work for at least 12 weeks, and is staring down a scary road of appointments, procedures, more potential operations, and the daily challenges that come with living with a catheter. Even with insurance, the medical costs, supplies, and loss of income have become overwhelming. Through it all, Gabriella has remained incredibly strong and determined.

Every donation — no matter the size — helps ease the financial burden and allows Gabriella to focus on healing and adjusting to the next phase of her care. We continue to be so grateful for your love, prayers, and support — they mean more to our family than words can express. As we navigate the next steps in her treatment, we ask that you continue keeping her in your thoughts.

We're holding onto faith that answers are coming soon, and your support helps keep us fighting.

With love, hope, and heartfelt gratitude,

Margherita Scott