Help Katlyn and Her Family Through a Medical Crisis

In August 2023, our dear friend Katlyn gave birth to her beautiful daughter, Noah Kimberly. What should have been a time of joy quickly turned into a series of life-threatening medical battles. Shortly after delivery, Katlyn’s autoimmune disease—ulcerative colitis—flared severely, leading to multiple ICU stays and, eventually, an 8-hour surgery in May 2024 to remove her entire colon.

Ulcerative colitis is a painful and debilitating condition in which the immune system attacks the colon, causing inflammation, bleeding, and even cancer. To save her life, Katlyn was given a temporary ileostomy, allowing her to finally live without pain—while awaiting a second surgery to reconnect her intestines.

Despite the challenges, Katlyn and her husband Manuel, both dedicated ICU nurses themselves, remained hopeful and were soon expecting their second child, a baby boy they named Ricky Jeremiah. But at 31 weeks pregnant, everything changed.

Katlyn suddenly experienced unbearable pain. Her ileostomy had stopped working, and her stoma turned purple—a sign of a dangerous blockage. She was rushed to the ER and then to Labor & Delivery, where doctors discovered a life-threatening hernia and bowel obstruction.

That night, she underwent two emergency surgeries: a C-section to deliver baby Ricky early, and a small bowel resection with a second ileostomy.

Since then, Katlyn has faced setback after setback. Her surgical incision reopened, requiring painful daily wound care. Her new ileostomy began to narrow (a condition called stoma stenosis), causing more obstructions, more pain, and two additional hospitalizations. Her baby boy remains in the NICU while Katlyn continues to be hospitalized, separated from her husband and children.

She now requires another surgery to revise the ileostomy, but due to the complexity of her condition, she’s being transferred out of El Paso to a specialized IBD center. That means even more medical expenses, more travel, and more time away from her family—while still recovering from childbirth and major abdominal surgery.

Katlyn is on unpaid maternity leave. Manuel is on paternity leave with limited pay, caring for their two small children. They are now relying on one income, all while facing mounting medical bills, travel costs, and out-of-pocket expenses for essential ostomy supplies not covered by insurance.

We are asking for help to ease this overwhelming burden so Katlyn can focus on healing and returning home to her family.

Funds will go toward:

    •    Medical bills and ongoing care

    •    Ostomy and wound care supplies

    •    Travel and lodging for out-of-town treatment

    •    Living expenses during unpaid leave

Katlyn and Manuel have dedicated their careers to caring for others in the ICU—now they need our care. If you’re able to give, no matter the amount, please know it will make a meaningful difference. And if you can’t donate, please share their story to help spread the word.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for supporting this beautiful family.