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<li><strong>URGENT REQUEST - PLEASE READ! </strong>
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<div><strong>We are reaching out emergently as we desperately need your help. Kat is in dire need of rehabilitative care for her traumatic brain injury. Being able to get her to a Neuro-Rehab is essential to her journey, and ultimately this comes down to her having quality of life. </strong>
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<div><strong>Now is the time when her brain is the most responsive to treatment and has the best chance of healing. When we say every single donation helps, it is the absolute truth, no matter the amount - it is significant to her healing journey.</strong>
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<div><strong>We urge everyone to just think - what would you do, how far would you go, how much would you plead - if this was your daughter/sister/granddaughter/aunt/friend? </strong>
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<div><strong>Just like any of you and your loved ones, Kat deserves a chance at a happy, healthy life. She has been stripped of so much because of one person's selfish actions. We still don't know when or how this person will be held accountable, but we know Kat and her healing cannot wait. Please help us ensure she gets a chance to take back her life. </strong>
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<div><strong>Again - THANK YOU! Thank you often just doesn't seem like enough, but our gratitude for the donations, prayers, thoughts, and kind words that have been received thus far, is limitless!</strong>
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<div><strong><em>A heartfelt message from Katherine's mom: </em></strong>
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<div>"Some of you know Katherine, and some may not; but I wanted all to know a little more about the person you're helping.
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<div>Katherine loves animals, and on her walks will often stop to pet and play with any cat or dog she comes across. Katherine loves to walk, and is a nature baby - preferring to stroll through the woods and parks. She is an avid reader and spends time curled up with a good book and a hot cup of tea. Katherine also has a beautiful singing voice, which many likely do not know about her, as she is shy about it.
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<div>Katherine is a deeply compassionate, caring person who always seems to know when someone needs an ear or a hug; and will listen and lend comfort.
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<div>She is an incredibly hard worker, and strives to do her very best in whatever job, goal, or endeavor she pursues.
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<div>Katherine had a fear of driving, and wanted to make certain that she was confident in her driving skills before she took the final step to get her license, which she did shortly before this incident occurred. Katherine is very diligent about doing everything she can to protect herself, as well as others, and has even taken self defense classes.
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<div>Lastly, but certainly not least, Katherine loves Christmas - it is magical for her: the decorations, hot chocolate with marshmallows, trimming the tree, stuffing stockings and sharing goodies with her friends. She will not be at home for Christmas this year, but somehow, we will bring Christmas to her.
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<div>Katherine would be very touched and grateful to know of all of your help and support; and when the day comes that she awakens, and can hear us and understand, she will know.
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<div>Thank you all for every show of support, as we read every word and cherish every gesture, and it truly helps give us strength during this difficult time.
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<div>Bless you all! - Hilary"
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<div><strong><em>A message from the family:</em> </strong>
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<li><em>Thank you to everyone who has donated, and for all of the community support and kindness. </em>
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<div>*Please scroll for updates, as it will be updated with each day and/or change in status that Katherine experiences.*
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<div>On the evening of December 2nd, Caitlyn Slagle, who goes by Katherine, was tragically struck by an impaired driver failing to yield at a stop light as she crossed the street at a designated crosswalk. Unfortunately the updates have not gone as the family would have hoped.
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<div>Kat is currently unresponsive and in critical condition in the ICU. It has been discovered that she has a dislocated &amp; fractured shoulder, multiple fractures to her pelvis, her ischium is completely broken on both sides (this is the lower and back region of the hip bone), fractures to both of her legs, they have concerns about a possible brain injury and possible stroke, and she has swelling in her brain. Updates on her condition continue to come in every few hours as tests are run and results are received.
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<div>I work with Katherine's sister, and I know her family has been completely devastated by this senseless act of selfishness by another person. I offered to start this GFM with her sister's blessing in an effort to help alleviate some of the stress in at least one area of their world right now. Katherine's condition is rapidly changing and while we continue to pray for healing, her prognosis is unknown at this time.
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<div>Unfortunately, the impaired driver that hit Katherine was driving on a suspended license, so at this time the family is unsure if the driver had insurance or that they will cover any of Katherine's hospital costs.
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<div>Please share this to spread the word, and if you feel compelled to do so, please donate. There is no amount too small - in prayer, love, good vibes, or monetary donations.
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<div>Thank you all in advance for helping Katherine and her sweet family navigate the tough times ahead. If you would rather donate to the family directly, her sister Jessi's CashApp is $JessiElizabeth6
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<div>*<strong>Update 12/03/24</strong>: Katherine had an MRI that shows she has a Traumatic Brain Injury. She does also have injuries to her cervical spine. She has been placed on blood thinners due to having damaged blood vessels in her neck to hopefully prevent further damage. Currently, she is still unresponsive and on a ventilator. Vitals seem to be more stable at this time. Her pupils are mostly equal and are reactive, which are good signs when dealing with a TBI. She does have damage to her frontal and occipital lobes, and a few smaller parts of her brain. Fentanyl and sedation drips have been stopped, but she is still not waking at this time. The long term effects of the TBI are currently unknown, but it is not uncommon for TBI patients to not open their eyes for a few weeks.
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<div><strong>*Update 12/04/24</strong>: Katherine had surgery today on her pelvis, which the providers were able to do laparoscopically. They were able to avoid placing a plate or forcing large incisions, but they did place 5 screws. Her hemoglobin levels were quite low due to internal bleeding, so she has received three units of blood so far. As long as she remains in stable condition, the plan is to perform surgery later this week on one of her leg fractures.
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<div><strong>*Update 12/05/24</strong>: The family received word from the DA that the driver of the vehicle, Alexandria Rodriguez, will have her charges updated to include the fact that she was under the influence while driving. This is great news! We will continue to fight for the justice that Katherine deserves!
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<div><strong>*Update 12/06/24</strong>: Kat still has not opened her eyes. She had surgery today to place a trach and feeding tube, which went well. Her hemoglobin is still low but not critical. Her medical team is trying to determine if they should take her in to surgery to stabilize her leg, or switch their focus on her neurological risks instead. We ask that you please continue to pray &amp; share. As always, thank you for your donations, prayers, kind words, and support in whichever capacity that is.
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<div><strong>*Update 12/08/24</strong>: Katherine has been spiking fevers since surgery last week, but everything else has remained stable for the time being. The medical team also took her off of her ventilator for a bit and she did well by herself before getting tired. All steps in the right direction! She still has not opened her eyes, but we are all hopeful. This weekend her sister Jessi went to see her, and while she was there, braided her hair and painted her toenails. I'll include a comparison photo below, but the difference in her facial swelling is evident - also great news.
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<div>Due to not having health insurance, the likelihood of the impaired driver's car insurance not covering anything due to her suspended license status, and the extensive injuries that Katherine is facing, the amount of the GFM has been updated. I wasn't sure which amount to put, but her medical bills alone will have surpassed the original amount listed.
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<div>I cannot imagine having to go through this situation. Every day just watching your family member completely unresponsive, knowing they have a Traumatic Brain Injury and not knowing what that will look like for their future/life, and feeling so helpless... so I wanted to make sure to thank every single person who has donated, shared, and/or given their condolences, prayers, and kind words to the family. You all are amazing! The community of total strangers, friends, and family alike rallying behind Katherine and her family have completely blown my mind. I don't think "thank you" is sufficient enough wording.
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<div>Blessed and filled with gratitude.
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<div><strong>*Update 12/10/24</strong>: Katherine has developed a PE - a pulmonary embolism (this is a blockage in a lung artery that is usually caused by a blood clot breaking loose and traveling from a vein in the leg or pelvis to the lungs) and this can be life threatening. Due to the amount of brain damage she has, she cannot be treated with blood thinners, which is the typical treatment protocol. If she were given blood thinners and had increased damage to her brain, she would not survive it. PLEASE continue to pray for her!
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<div><strong>*Update 12/12/24:</strong> Katherine had a doppler done on her leg to determine if that was the source of her blood clot. They did not find any evidence to indicate that it was, so they are thinking that it came from her abdomen area. If this becomes a more emergent case, they will perform surgery to remove it, but they're hoping not to need to go this route. She has developed pneumonia. Antibiotic medication has been changed in an effort to help resolve as much as possible, and she is also being suctioned. Physical Therapy has been started, which is great for her, and could potentially aid in her waking up. Fingers crossed and prayers up that this works as hoped!
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<div>They recently had her off of her ventilator for a three hour period, allowing her to breathe completely on her own before being placed back on it. There was previously some discussion about transferring her to another unit in the hospital, but there has been no further direction or discussion on this.
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<div>We ask that you continue to pray. The support received from the community; strangers, friends, family, coworkers, etc, has been completely overwhelming in the best possible way. There just aren't enough words to thank everyone for everything they have done and are continuing to do to support Katherine in her fight to come back to her family.
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<div><strong>Update 12/17/24</strong>: <em>Probably one of the best updates yet</em> - Kat is completely off of the ventilator and is breathing 100% on her own! It appears that she is gradually becoming more aware and has started tracking with her eyes (another fantastic update). She has started moving her hands and limbs more often, and more strongly. They have tried a speaking valve a few times (this is a small one-way valve that attaches to a trach allowing the person to speak by diverting air around the tube and through their vocal cords when they exhale), but so far she has not tolerated that very well - they will keep trying. Her face continues to heal, and the swelling continues to decrease. The family has started playing Christmas music for her, and will continue to play some of her favorite music, movies, and TV shows for her to listen to.
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<div>While she is definitely not out of the woods yet, this progress has been incredibly encouraging to her family and medical staff. Your abundant prayers and Kat's skilled medical teams have no doubt made a difference in her recovery and continued progress.
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<div>An update on the impaired driver that hit Kat:
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<div>She had court on Dec 16 that was continued until January 21, 2025. Kat's mom will continue to receive updates as the case progresses. Fingers crossed that justice prevails and that Alexandria Rodriguez is held accountable for her irresponsible and senseless actions that night that altered so many lives.
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<div><strong>Update 12/18/24: </strong>Family received this sweet note recently from a former boss of Kat's. I feel like this really speaks to the type of person she truly is. We are all pulling for you!!
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<div><strong>Update 12/19/24: </strong> After a new CTA, Kat no longer has a blood clot in her lung. They have been working on the speaking valve and she had it in for nine whole hours!
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<div>As of right now, the medical team does not believe she will need further surgeries. Currently the focus is on cognitive care, physical therapies, and other basic care. They will likely transfer her to another unit soon.
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<div>This is all wonderful news! Please pray for continued cognitive healing; she still has a long way to go.
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<div><strong>Update 12/26/24: </strong>Kat is awake. Nobody really knows what to expect, or knows how the stroke or the several TBIs she's had will have affected her. She was able to track her sister with her eyes as she walked in to her hospital room recently, but the best way to describe it is... she just isn't "there". She is not the same Kat that she was.
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<div>Currently, Kat's mom Hilary is working to obtain Guardianship over her so she is then able to apply for Medicaid (remember, Kat did not have health insurance, and the driver's insurance is not paying). Once this is all worked out, they will begin raising funds to go towards the cost of transferring Kat to a Neurological Rehab Facility, as well as funds for the facility itself. One state's Medicaid is typically not accepted in other states, so where she will attend rehab is still being considered at this time.
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<div>As always, please pray for Kat's recovery, whatever that looks like at this time. Her injuries are no longer considered life threatening, which is fantastic, but neurologically there are still so many unknowns. Thank you all for your continued support and love!
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<div><strong>Update 12/31/24: </strong>Katherine is in a trauma unit, a step down from the ICU. She is battling a second bout of pneumonia, but is doing well. Hopefully after she is well, one of the next steps would be to remove the trach altogether, if the doctor believes she’s ready.
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<div>The next big step is getting her into a rehabilitation facility. Getting her the best care possible in the first 3-6 months after a tbi is crucial for her recovery, as that is the time when her brain is the most ‘plastic’ and has the potential and ability for the most healing. This will make the difference in her recovery and quality of life. We are working diligently to make sure she gets that care, but we need help.
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<div>It is unlikely that much will, or can be, recovered from the driver who hit her; as this person was driving on a suspended license and was therefore not insured. Please help us continue to spread the word to help us get Kat the care that she needs.
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<div>As always, thank you for your prayers and support.
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<div><strong>*Update - 01/07/2025</strong>: Kat's trach has been removed. Speech therapy is giving her ice chips and small bits of popsicles to help her work on chewing and swallowing. So far, she is doing well. Recently, she has been showing more facial expressions, and has also been trying to talk.
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<div>Now comes the biggest challenge: getting Katherine the care she needs for her traumatic brain injury rehabilitation. Funding for this crucial therapy is our main focus, especially since we are not able to secure any financial payout from the driver that hit her. We need your help now more than ever. Every donation helps. THANK YOU for caring!
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<div><strong>*Update 01/26/2025:</strong>
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<div><strong>*Update from Kat's mom, Hilary - 02/01/25:</strong>
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<div>"I’m probably going to be posting a lot of updates as the days go by, and this one is too good not to share. Tonight, Amanda and Jim saw Kat at the hospital and I was able to FaceTime with her for a bit. Kat said ‘l love you’ and ‘I miss you’ several times to us, clear as a bell. Just yesterday she wasn’t able to say that. Amanda asked her if there was anything she could bring her, and Kat said ‘bacon’!
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<div>Amanda was helping her try to write a little, which is very difficult, but Amanda said they laughed about it. Then Amanda wrote kats name on the paper, and Kat read it and said ‘Katherine’."
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<div><strong>*Update 02/02/2025:</strong>
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Help Katherine & Family After Senseless Tragedy

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