Help Kevin and Becky Through Medical Crisis

Kevin is my husband’s cousin; he and his family are so sweet and always willing to lend a hand however they can. Kevin has been facing life-threatening health issues since March. Becky (Kevin’s wife) is doing her best to be present for him, parent their boys and work full-time.

Here is a timeline from Becky explaining what happened and how it’s going:

March 13 2025 First ER Visit: Kevin had been feeling generally unwell for a few weeks with fatigue, low energy, etc, but this day he was confused and vomiting throughout the day. He was jaundiced all over-even the whites of his eyes. He tested negative for any illness that would cause this. ER could not find the cause and sent us home to follow up with a Gastroenterologist.

March 14th-15th: Still extremely ill, we sought help at urgent care and a second ER. Again, no clear answers—he was misdiagnosed and sent home.

March 17th: First visit with a Gastroenterologist. She noted that in both ER visits, gallstones were noted in his chart but no one followed up with that in either ER visit. She ordered an MRI because he had all the symptoms of a gallstone being lodged in his common bile duct, which would be causing the liver failure and other symptoms.

March 24th: The MRI confirmed a life-threatening gallstone blockage. Gastroenterologist explained he needed an ERCP procedure as soon as possible—this condition is not survivable otherwise.

April 1st: Kevin underwent an ERCP (an outpatient procedure) at the first hospital. The procedure was unsuccessful—they encountered an unexpected blockage and couldn’t remove the stone. They told us he needed to go to Atlanta in two days so they can get the stone out with their advanced GI equipment.

However, that night, Kevin developed severe necrotizing pancreatitis—a rare and life-threatening complication. Mild pancreatitis is a known risk of ERCP, but what happened to him was extreme and traumatic.

April 1–7: Hospitalized with severe pain and inflammation from the pancreatitis. Doctors compare this pain to amputation without anesthesia.

April 7th: Hospital one medically transferred him to Piedmont Atlanta for the advanced GI ERCP. He was still in terrible condition, but stable enough to do this procedure. This time, the procedure went well and they removed the gallstone from the bile duct.

April 7th- 18th: In patient at Piedmont Atlanta. Still in lots of pain, and due to the necrotizing pancreatitis, he had lots of fluid building up in his abdominal cavity. He developed sepsis, and due to being stuck in a hospital bed for so long, his lungs started having issues as well so he was having lots of labored breathing. These were very scary days and we almost lost him multiple times through all this.

April 12th: A drain was inserted to help remove infected fluid.

April 18th: Kevin came home—but to a hospital bed in our house, with multiple weekly visits from home nurses, physical and occupational therapists.

April 18th- May 25th: We entered a long phase of healing and waiting-lots of meds, specialist visits, dietary restrictions, and waiting for the drain to stop draining.

May 25th-28th: He spiked fevers and was readmitted. The drain was replaced.

June 5th: Kevin had open abdominal surgery to remove the infected tissue and gallbladder. The surgeon told us the infection was so thick that no drain could have cleared it alone. A new surgical drain was placed.

June 6th: It was discovered that pancreatic fluid is leaking into the drain—this means it will possibly have to stay in for longer than anticipated. Additionally, Kevin's stomach didn't tolerate the post-surgery clear liquid diet, causing bloating that pressed on his lungs. A tube was inserted through his nose into his stomach to remove the stomach contents. The tube is still in, I don't know how long it has to stay in.

June 7th: Kevin is still in the hospital with low blood pressure, the tube and his drain are still in place, and he is developing a wet cough. He’s doing everything right, but we are now watching for signs of pneumonia.

This has been a terrifying, exhausting, and emotional rollercoaster. Kevin is fighting hard. I’m fighting hard. The boys are being incredibly brave. I don’t share this for pity—I share it because I can’t manage updating everyone personally anymore.

So many kind friends and family members have asked, What do you need? Truthfully, I haven’t known how to answer that—because I’ve been so focused on surviving the day-to-day.

I’m grateful to have an amazing job, good insurance, and a supportive network of people. But the medical bills, hospital stays, daily parking fees, having to order meals every day, and countless unplanned expenses are draining the finances faster than anyone can imagine. Other than needing more income, I don't really know what we need.

If you’ve prayed, sent food, money, offered to help—thank you. I’ve read every message, even if I haven’t been able to respond. We’re taking this day by day, and your love and support matters more than you know.