Help Kyrie Get a Life-Saving Liver Transplant
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My name is Crystal McVay Parker I am making this GoFundMe on behalf of my close family friend Cheri Steffens 22 year old daughter Kyrie. She is on life support and in need of a liver transplant asap. Cheri has been an amazing asset to the Shasta County Community as a lot of people know her from volunteering at the animal shelter in Shasta Lake City and she is an amazing mother who cares deeply for her kids. It breaks my heart to even see this happen to her young and amazing daughter. Please help her daughter have a chance at life. She is so young. Anything I know will help and will be greatly appreciated. I just set the amount I did right now but we might change it cause I honestly don’t know how much something like this would cost but I can imagine the panic and stress her mom is under with this happening to her daughter. All the money will go to her mom Cheri to help with her life saving efforts to save her daughter.
5/15/2025 post by her mom Cheri Update on Kyrie..
She was rushed to the hospital after she passed out at work.. her blood pressure was too low and once she got to the hospital they realized she had internal bleeding and her spleen had ruptured due to a blood clot bursting.. she is also have trouble with her liver function.. she is on a ventilator and they had to use heated blankets to raise her temp core because it was dangerously low..
I was able to see her for a short time but since visiting hours don’t start till 7 am I am hanging out on my car at the hospital just in case things go south..
Keep her your prayers and send some positive vibes her way.. I will update when I can..
5/16/2025 post by her mom Cheri
Update #2 on Kyrie..
She is still sedated and on life support..
It was unknown she had a severe liver disease that’s been going on for awhile(no she is not a drinker)spleen kept it at bay until it ruptured yesterday and everything went downhill from there.. the drs are guessing she had a infection at one point but it still unknown..
They are still waiting to close her up but she is still bleeding internally..
We are waiting to see which hospital she will transfer to because she needs a liver specialist.. she needs a liver transplant..
Because we are literally going min by min hour by hour we are hopeful of a positive outcome.. she hasn’t been put on the list yet because we need to see a liver specialist..
Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers
UC Davis is out.. they don’t take Kyrie’s or my insurance.. we would have to pay out of pocket 50% for the liver transplant..
***UPDATE 3 So far she is not a candidate for the transplant.. waiting for the 3 hospitals to look over her charts.. it’s not consider emergent at this point but it could change.. she goes in for surgery in a hour to find the bleed..***
5/16/2025
Kyrie’s surgery went well and they sutured the tiny bleed.. she will be going in for another surgery tomorrow to make sure her blood is coagulating at 8 am.. thanks for all the text messages, calls and fb messages.. I have been a wreck all day.
Update 5/17/2025 made by her Grandmother “Cheri’s Mother”
Kyrie Jewett has spiked a temp no surgery today. Please continue prayers and support for Kyrie and her family.
Update 5/17/25 from Cheri in the Shasta Lake Animal Shelter Facebook
My daughter Kyrie reminds me every time she wants to help me at the shelter “Mom I am the reason you do this” ..
She is right.. she had an assignment in the 8th grade to volunteer to do something for the community.. she was only to volunteer on one Sat and next thing you know we both volunteered every Sat for 2 years.. and she loved every minute of it..
I am going to be taking some time away from the shelter because my daughter is in the hospital due to some unexpected events and she needs me..
She needs my undivided attention~Cheri
5/17/2025 Update by Cheri 9:14am
Update #4 on Kyrie..
She spiked a fever last night and surgery was postponed due to the fact her wound is still oozing.. she Is more sedated then yesterday..
Still no word from a transplant team of the 3 hospitals because of her prognosis.. she has to meet the criteria for a liver transplant but it could change at any moment.. we are still going minute by minute and hour by hour..
Update -
Kyrie may have a bed at a CPMC in San Francisco.. it could be a few days or within hours she heads there****
UPDATE
on Kyrie
Her levels are getting better but they are not quite where they are supposed to be at but they are getting there..
They are lowering her on the ventilator slowly but surely right now it’s at 40%..
She is still running a high fever and if it goes up anymore they are going to put ice packs on her to help bring her fever down..
She has a “soft” hold at CPMC Hospital in San Francisco..
they will look at her lab results tomorrow morning.. Even though they are full the “soft” hold guarantees her a bed.. they will make room for her..
To all my Safeway crew members past and present for checking in on Kyrie.. she was born, raised and now works there so they have known her most of her life..
and thanks to all management for texting to check on Kyrie.. your support is nothing short of amazing she has her own #teamkyrie..
To all my friends and family for checking in on me making sure I am eating, showering and somewhat sleeping I am hoping tonight will be better..
Same goes for all the nurses and drs at Mercy for also checking in on me and making sure I am taking care of myself.. and thanks for doing an amazing care with Kyrie. .
Hoping for more positive tomorrow..
UPDATE 5/18/2025 #7 on Kyrie..
They had to place ice packs on her last night due to her high fever..
She just went into surgery and they are going to attempt to close her abdomen up… that is if she isn’t still oozing(sorry for using that term but it is what it is)..
they will also be biopsying her liver to see the cause of all this..
From what the Dr just told be her body has been fighting this off for a number of years because her immune system was good however since her spleen ruptured all hell broke loose..
Prayers up and positive energy Kyrie’s way❤️
****I am posting positive pics of Kyrie none of her with tubes all over the place.. I want people to see the positive side of Kyrie****
****
UPDATE #8!!! Kyrie has a bed waiting for her!!!! We will know within 24 hours when she will be transported there!!!! ****
Update - Cheri - It’s a waiting game now.. I will be traveling to San Francisco by myself and staying in a hotel across the street.. they do give a discount for families in this situation however I do not know how long Kyrie will be there and everything cost money at this point..
I will update when I head out..
Update
The amount of support with what is going on with Kyrie is nothing short of amazing..
She has no idea how many people are rooting for her.. her coworkers, management team she works with, friends and family.. but most importantly a community has come together supporting her.. she is going to be needing a liver transplant.. her current liver is too far gone.. the dr did a biopsy on it to see that caused it..
I have for years my focus has been shelter animals at the shelter most you know it’s Friends of Shasta Lake Animal Shelter-Shasta Lake, Ca and the community stepped up time and time again to share my posts.. but there is 2 people that have always shared my posts Robbie C Hosie Jr. and Joetta Ferguson..
Well these 2 amazing people have seen the posts on my daughter and stepped up to share what is going on with my daughter via GoFundMe me..
I came to all stops and had to make my daughter my priority because of the recent medical emergency that came out of the blue..
My community has stepped up which is nothing short of amazing. I am at loss of words.. the nurses at the hospital told me they have seen all the posts regarding my daughter and her situation.. my heart is full.. my community went from supporting me to getting dogs out to getting the word out on my daughter via all the Redding community pages on FB..
And of course thank to my long time family friend Crystal McVay Parkerwho I consider my little sister for stating the GoFundMe and updating all Kyrie’s progress on the page..
It’s hard for me to ask for help when I always try and figure out what i can do because I am so independent..
I want to truly thank all these people for having my back.. I am not alone I have so much support it’s unbelievable.
5/19/2025 update
UPDATE #9
Kyrie has been excepted to the CMPC in San Francisco.. once a a bed opens up we will be off.. it could happen at any moment I can leave on a moments notice..
I contacted our Union and was able to get Kyrie’s insurance info and the hospital has it in file now.. she has always been on mine but will still keep her on it.. now she has dual insurance..
Just waiting on the dr to sign the leave of absence paperwork …
A social worker is getting her on MediCal and Partnership so whatever the insurance doesn’t pay they will cover it.. that is the plan.
Thanks again for everyone’s support.. it was a rocky ride in the beginning but it’s smoothing out and everything is coming together…
****UPDATE #10 they put Kyrie on an eeg(a cap on her head) to see how much brain activity is going on.. they also took her down for a brain scan to be sure there were no blood clots..none were found but she will be going back for another scan tomorrow morning to be sure****
Update
JUST GOT THE NEWS!!! Kyrie has a bed waiting for her!!!!!!!!! She will be heading down there sometime tonight!!!!!!!
5/20/2025
Kyrie and Cheri have made it to CPMC ♥️♥️ keep the prayers and blessings coming.
UPDATE #11 on Kyrie..
She has settled into her bed and has been taken off sedatives and pain meds.. for the last few days she hasn’t been responsive since when a nurse tries to wake her.. for the first few day she would respond to me by squeezing my hand but that has stopped..
she hasn’t woken up at all which is concerning..
They are going to give her a few days for all the meds to flush her system and see how responsive she will be..
She has bitten her tongue twice and so that had to put a tube guard in her mouth..
So here we wait I will update when i have more info..
UPDATE #12 on Kyrie.
The liver specialist did endoscopy on Kyrie to see what her liver looked like and to make sure there were no bleeds..
She is still not waking up so hopefully tomorrow will be different..
He wants to possibly do a shunt in liver to avoid a transplant but he wants to see her awake.. she isn’t as jaundice looking which I am happy to see.. the dr is trying to do everything possible to avoid it if he can..
I want to explain something about my daughter.. she is a 22 year old adult who is a introvert thet keeps to herself .. i can’t control what she does in can only coach her and she doesn’t live with me so I am finding out things she has been doing after her dad, step mom and I talked..
No she isn’t doing drugs but she eats like crap(which I knew), drinking energy drinks(NOS) and vaping which her dad and didn’t know)all of which the dr knows and it won’t affect her if she needs a transplant.. a lifestyle change is going to happen..
she has a team of “moms” work and friends that are going to look out for Kyrie.. it’s going to be a positive intervention because if we push she will push back..
She was absolutely lucky she was where she was where she was at when she passed out with 2 management teams because if she would have been by herself in a the fuel station, walking home from work by herself or sleeping because I would be planning a funeral instead of her being in a hospital because she was bleeding out in her abdomen..
I am counting my blessings she is still here with me..
Keep Kyrie in your prayers #kyriestrong
5/22/2025
UPDATE #13 on Kyrie..
I was out of the room for maybe 5 min.. I walked in her room to see nurses and drs everywhere.. I was looking for her dad and turned around and asked what’s going on????
She coded and they had to preform CPR.. thankfully it was only once and pressure went back to normal..
The dr has no idea what caused it and baffled.. she was being moved around in her bed by her nurse.. he has no explanation and will be running tests ..
Kyrie is good now but keep her in your prayers #Kyriestrong
5/23/25
UPDATE #14 on Kyrie
My Aunt Nancy came to visit with Kyrie today.. I appreciate all who can support me when I am on my own because her dad is commuting when he isn’t working..
This may be TMI for some people but this update shows how well she is doing..
She did have a bowel movement and lots of urin pass her body so it’s a positive because we are waiting for all the meds she was taking to pass through her body because of her cirrhosis of the liver..
Had a great talk with the nurse practitioner and she is heading in the right direction..
She still hasn’t woken up but she has blinked her eyes multiple times when asked by the nurse.. I was so excited to see her do that.. she is in there and she is listening..
After having 3 surgeries in 5 days her body just needs time to recoup that’s why she has not woken up yet..
Once she wakes up then the process of her liver transplant will start to happen.. just need her to wake up..
Just happy things are going in the right direction with a few bumpy roads..
#Kyriestrong
5/24/25
Day 10
Update #15 on Kyrie
Kyrie has not woken up yet but when she either gets shifted around in her bed or getting her teeth brushed her eyes open a little bit and when I ask her to blink her eyes she does it multiple times..
When Kyrie gets frustrated with me she calls me “bruh” and I was telling the nurse this..
as the respiratory therapist is brushing her teeth I said she probably think “bruh” what the heck are you doing I am sleeping.. she blinked her a couple times and I laughed.. she can hear me..
She starts to raise a temp mid afternoon and they have been giving her a small dose children’s Tylenol and that seems to be helping.. and she is also on antibiotics..
I will doing updates in the afternoon because it is easier..
#Kyriestrong
Day 11
UPDATE #16 on Kyrie…
She still hasn’t woken up yet but when getting moved around or her teeth brushed..
But today she opened her eyes wider.. more of a distress of uncomfort when they were changing a piece to her face of the ventilator..
I can imagine how scared she is because she had a tear come down..
But on a positive note when I was rubbing her hand she opened her eyes wide and I was just talking to let her know I was there.. another tear streamed down.. i cried with her..
People are messaging me if I am ok.. it’s really hard to see my own child where she is at.. it’s heartbreaking..
i have to stay strong.. I am getting enough sleep and eating healthy.. I have my coffee in the morning and drink water the rest of the day.. Apple slices dipped in peanut butter is what I am eating to keep my energy going..
#Kyriestrong
5/25/25
Day 12
UPDATE #17 on Kyrie
Still no change on her.. she is still opening her eyes when she hears voices..
Today her stepmom gave her a compliment on seeing her beautiful eye.. she blinked her eyes once for no and I laughed..
I said are you just being stubborn like always she blinked twice for yes.. that’s my girl..
She is trying to talk and she is a little frustrated she can’t communicate with being on the ventilator unless she blinks her eyes..one day at a time Punkin..
Since her dad and stepmom are hear i am letting spend time with her so i am doing a lot walking..
#Kyriestrong
5/27/25
Day 13
UPDATE #18 on Kyrie…
She is getting more alert by opening her eyes wide open..
still blinking one for no and two for yes.. the nurse asked Kyrie if she could close her eyes on her own no blink no nothing she was standing her ground not closing her eyes. lol
She is having more movement with her body now and had a little occupational therapy to have her try and move a little.. one step at a time..
Giving her dad and stepmom more time with her I have done a lot of walking.. after visiting with Kyrie I laid down on my hotel bed just to rest a little..
after almost 2 weeks going full speed ahead making sure Kyrie was ok I crashed for about a hour and half.. my body was telling me to take a break..
Kyrie is moving along slowly but surely..
#Kyriestrong
5/28/25
Day 14
UPDATE #19 on Kyrie..
I walked into her room and seen a significant movement with her body.. her eyes wide open..
This morning the nurse practitioner was able to get Kyrie to respond with squeezing his hand..
he is seeing a big improvement with her..
They have started occupational therapy and used a lift to put her in a chair.. coaching her along by opening her eyes and raising her neck by herself..
she did absolutely amazing.
Since she has been on ventilator for 2 weeks and is really uncomfortable with it now and gagging a bit they are going to do a tracheotomy and have the tube go through her throat so when they take her off the ventilator they don’t have intubate her again through her throat because it isn’t good..
if she doesn’t do well off the ventilator they can just reattach it to her tracheotomy..
She is getting stronger and stronger everyday..
#Kyriestrong
If anything is off updating wise please reach out to her mom! I’m working hard to keep this updated! I will be limited Thursday to Monday but I should have good service to stay on top of it but I do have an event I’m doing this week so I want to stay as transparent as I can thru out this journey. - Crystal McVay Parker ♥️♥️ Thank You everyone for continued support, shares, and prayers.
5/29/25
Day 15
UPDATE #20 on Kyrie..
Today was a milestone… Kyrie had physical therapy and with a use of a stand/sit chair she was able to push herself up for a little bit..
The physical therapist had her also sit in a chair working on keeping her head upright to strengthen her neck for a hour..
I was the one coaching her along to keep her eyes open and head straight.. she shook her body up and down as she was throwing her typical tantrum telling me “no i don’t want to ” …
I continued keeping her awake and to keep her head up.. this time she winced “mom shut up ”.. ..
I know she probably hates but I explained to her the better she gets the sooner she is off the ventilator which is frustrating her..
I am hoping she understands I am only trying to get her off the ventilator and progress is the only way..
#Kyriestrong
The hardest part of today of working with Kyrie on physically therapy was I had to pull the coach card with her to push her.
The physical therapist had left because she had seen me push Kyrie and knew she was in good hands.
I have coached her in cross country, Girls on the Run and softball..
Seeing the frustration with me I felt her pain but kept pushing her to limit..
I only laughed because I didn’t want to see her to see my tears, my concern, and my heartache.. I wanted her to see succeed. I pushed her and she pushed back that’s what I wanted.. I wanted her to fight me.. she has the spirit to do so..
she is just like me…
Being a parent doesn’t stop at 18.. yes she is 22 but parenting and being there for your child is a lifetime commitment.. no matter the age they still need their parent at their lowest point..
Love is unconditional ❤️
5/30/25
Day 16
Update on Kyrie..
Today’s physical therapy was tough on her.. 2 physical therapists were there to push Kyrie to stand..
I sat off in the sidelines letting them push her.. ahe did standing up 4 times..
She is getting more impatient with the ventilator wanted to communicate with me.. a lot of her slamming her arms down and eye rolls..
I tried seeing if she could write that was a no go.. wrote the alphabet that was a no go.. tried my phone, nope..
she is trying to mouth words I can’t read her lips..
The physical therapist got me a message board one is for feelings and the other is what she needs.. we are getting there slowly she just doesn’t have a lot of patience and I am trying to understand her.. I am just as frustrated as she is..
I am beyond exhausted emotionally and physically.. her dad will be here tomorrow.. I will check in with her but I think I need to walk to reset myself..
#Kyriestrong
5/31/25
Day 17
Update on Kyrie
Today’s physical therapy was phenomenal!!!!
Today there was no use of the hammock type thing that is used to secure her..
with the help of the physical therapists she was pulled herself up!!!!! She was able to do it multiple times!!!
She is getting frustrated with the tube in her mouth and before I got there she tried pulling it out and her feeding tube also.. they had to tighten her wrist straps..
I had a talk with her she will only do more damage if she succeeds..
But the good news is since she is doing so good they are taking her off the ventilator tomorrow!!! .. she can curse me out now instead of throwing her arms and rolling her eyes ..
The drs say she is doing amazing and healing up..
She still needs a liver transplant but she is heading in the right direction!!!
#Kyriestrong
6/1/25
Day 18
Update on Kyrie..
She is off the ventilator!!!! Once they took her off the ventilator she wanted me to be there..
She is able to communicate better and is happy she can somewhat talk..
the speech therapist is only allowing ice chips for right now until she talks to her drs..
We will know more tomorrow when she can eat some food..
I have gotten the pouty lips when it comes to getting ice chips because she is only allowed so much.. it doesn’t stop her from getting the pouty lips begging for the ice..
She gets ice chips if she into a breathing apparatus so she can work on strengthening her lungs..
Will update more tomorrow..
6/2/25
Day 19
Update on Kyrie..
Talked to her team of drs and nurse practitioner and she will be going in for another surgery to put a shunt in her pancreas because when they removed her spleen they had took a piece of her pancreas which is leaking..
once that is done her healing process will be faster..
They will also being doing a biopsy of her liver because the one Mercy did is inconclusive..
She is doing amazing on physical therapy and is rearing to go.. we now wait for the speech therapist to come and see her to see when she can start eating and drinking..
6/3/25
Day 20
Update on Kyrie..
She is finally eating some solid food and drinking!!! The beginning of her eating healthier..
The stent was put in her pancreas yesterday but will be removed onced it has healed and tomorrow the plan is to biopsy her liver..
She is getting better day by day..
#Kyriestrong
6/4/25
Day 21.. 3 weeks in..
Update on Kyrie…
Today she got to do more physical therapy and this time they had her walk a little with the help of a sling.. she was even able to walk backwards too.. the therapists are happy with her progress..
She just went in for surgery so they can biopsy her liver.. they should have the results in a few days..
#Kyriestrong
6/5/2025
Day 22
Update on Kyrie..
She is having an off day.. the changed her dressing in her abdominal and is in a lot of pain.. her pain level is 7..
She is more tired than she has been all week and sleeping more than usual..
She still has to do some physical therapy and will give her lidocaine for the pain..
They had to put her on an oxygen mask because her breathing is at 88 percent and it needs to be 90 percent.. but she really needs to be at 96 percent..
Seeing her in so much pain when they were changing her dressing I wanted to take the pain away for her.. because it takes so long for pain meds to flush her system because of her liver not functioning correctly lidocaine is the only option..
Keep the prayers coming and positive vibes…
#Kyriestrong
6/6/2025
Day 23
Update on Kyrie
She had the nurse call me from her phone because she wanted a muffin and I got her a blueberry muffin from Starbucks..
She is now able to pick what she wants from the menu and was able to eat a grilled cheese sandwich but I had to cut it up into bite size pieces for her..
She did physical therapy and was being stubborn about it.. I walked away for a bit so the therapist could deal with her fighting to not get up but when I got back she was walking with a walker and also had help with a sling.
I have been laying on the couch most of the day taking a break by walking a bit every hour.. and watching some shows on my phone to kill time.. Making sure when she wakes up she has water to drink..
Tomorrow we should get the results of her biopsy on her liver..
6/7/25
Day 24
Update on Kyrie…
She got her appetite back!! She waited for me to come so I could cut her breakfast up.. she even had some raisebran cereal.. she is drinking Ensure, low fat milk plenty of water..
Her oxygen levels are better so she no longer has to wear the mask..
She is more alert today and sleeping less.
Probably won’t get the results of her biopsy on her liver till Monday since it’s the weekend..
5:30 pm - Kyrie got downgraded and she is finally moving out of the ICU unit tonight!!!!
#Kyriestrong
6/8/25
Day 25
Update on Kyrie..
Talker to a the Dr and the biopsy results aren’t conclusive on how she ended up with cirrhosis of the liver.. possibly could be Wilson’s Disease??
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/5957-wilson-disease but not sure.. they are baffled..
He asked me if I had liver disease on my side and said no.. I am not sure about her dad’s side because he really didn’t know his mom or his dad because he grew up in foster care..
The transplant team will be here tomorrow so hopefully we will have more answers.. *sigh*
#Kyriestrong
9/9/25
Day 26
Update on Kyrie..
Well it looks like I will be staying here in San Francisco for about a month.. extended my stay at the hotel for 3 weeks(family discount for patients in the hospital)
They still don’t know what caused cirrhosis of the liver.. it has a lot of scar tissue..
possibly had a unknown disease she may have gotten as a child but it is still unknown but they are moving forward.. her calorie intake has to be higher and she needs to eat consistently.
After wound bandage change within a half hour after she felt something running down her abdomen she showed me and I alerted the dr she was bleeding excessively..
they had to cauterize her capillary artery..
It’s been a whirlwind of emotions these last few weeks.. some days I am laughing some days I am crying because she is in so much pain.. today is one of those days.. I just wish I could take the pain away..
Tomorrow is a new day
#Kyriestrong
6/11/2025
Hurray!!!!
Day 28
Update on Kyrie
Just got the news!!! Kyrie has been approved for the liver transplant!!!!!! Because her jaundice isn’t getting any better they are moving forward for the transplant!!! They will repair her pancreas during surgery because they cannot wait for it to heal itself..
It could happen tonight, tomorrow or a week from now.. the liver specialist is looking for a very healthy liver around her age group.. the chances are pretty high..
I am beyond happy!! This is has been an emotional roller coaster..
#Kyriestrong
6/12/25
Day 29
Update on Kyrie
Today was more physical therapy for her.. you can see her much enthusiasm but she did it..
She is at the top of the list for the liver transplant.. they are looking a perfect liver for her like it’s made of gold..
Her current nurse is going to rebraid her hair for her so we are working some of the knots out..
#Kyriestrong
6/13/25
Day 30
Update on Kyrie..
Just got confirmation she is on top of the list for a liver transplant.. at any given moment it will be go time..
Because her pancreas is taking its time to heal and her kidneys are on overload so they went back to a liquid diet and she is back on the feeding tube to ease the kidneys ..
They will repair her pancreas as they are doing the transplant .. estimated time the surgery will take 8-12 hours..
#Kyriestrong
6/14/25
Day 31
Update on Kyrie…
She feeling a lot nauseous and wasn’t able to eat some of her liquid breakfast.. talking with the drs they gave her some anti nausea meds and she was able to drink some insure.. I also got her some ice to suck on..
The drs say it can be 24-48 hours and they are looking for the “Ferrari” Liver for her..
#Kyriestrong
*****UPDATE-Kyrie is being moved back to ICU to begin what is called CRRT for her kidneys because they are struggling and they want to give them a break.. they are preparing her for the liver transplant(still don’t know when but it could be at given moment) it’s not GO TIME yet but it can be at any moment*****
6/15/25
Day 32
Update on Kyrie..
The last few days all that is going on is mentally taking a toll on her.. we are back in ICU and the nurses can see and i can see Kyrie is struggling emotionally that she is bottling it up..
Talking with the nurse practitioner he and I are the same page on her talking with a psychiatrist.. although i am her rock right now I think she really needs to talk to someone to sort everything out mentally ..
She is on the CRRT for her kidneys still..
She pushed herself physical therapy wise thanks to the therapist and her nurse..
Watching her face during PT I can totally read her and had to turn around.. I don’t want her to see me cry..
We are taking it one day at a time
#Kyriestrong
6/16/25
Day 33
Update on Kyrie..
She takes 4 steps forward and 2 steps back.. her white cell blood count is high so she has an infection somewhere.. she has 2 blankets plus some heater air blowing under blankets..
Her lungs are a little cloudy so did a bronchoscopy to see if she has any infection in her lungs.. the results should be ready in a few days.. she coughed up some phlegm yesterday with blood in it so they are doing everything possible to figure out what is going on..
#Kyriestrong
6/17/25
Day 34
Update on Kyrie…
This is Kyrie talking to her dad via FaceTime right before physical therapy.. couldn’t have been a better time for her knowing she had to walk..
Today she walked the floor without a walker!!! The whole team of nurses were rooting her on which was amazing to see.. because of that she walked faster!!
The speech therapist approved Kyrie eating some watermelon so I am using DoorDash.. she prefer it from Safeway rather then the cafeteria…
She is now resting in her bed after doing such a great job with PT..
#Kyriestrong
Day 35
Update on Kyrie..
4 steps forward 2 steps back..*sigh*
She has had a rough one today.. everytime she tries to drink anything she vomits it right back up.. the feeding tube is bothering her throat and it’s making her gag..
She is off the CRRT machine and took the IV out of her jugular.. they are giving her kidneys a rest with dialysis.. they did put a new pick line in so they can draw her blood..
She is frustrated emotionally and so am I.. seeing her cry with frustration breaks my heart.. I can’t take it away for her..
Tomorrow is a new day #kyriestrong
6/18/25
Day 36
Update on Kyrie..
Not off to a good start so far.. going on 4 and half hours of sleep… the hospital called me at 4:25 am..
They did a wound change on her abdomen yesterday and it was seeping blood again from a corratted artery…
Her blood pressure was extremely low and her hemoglobins was low also..
They put her back on the CRRT but have line in her groin instead of her jugular..
I will update the post throughout the day as I get updates..
#Kyriestrong
6/19/25
****UPDATE 5:30 pm- I was laying in the couch and looked at Kyrie and I could see she was in pain.. she was having serious back pain and her blood pressure was dropping I alerted her nurse and the team came in to see what was going on.. she was having a reaction to the platelets she is receiving which can happen.. they pulled the bag of platelets and is now flushing her system. They are sending the bag down to be tested.. they are giving her some pain meds and her blood pressure is back to normal*****
*****UPDATE 4 pm: a dr from the Center of Disease Control was just here evaluating and talking to Kyrie.. he is going to be talking with Kyrie’s team of drs and nurses and help figure out what is going on with her…*****
Day 37
Update on Kyrie..
She is back on track as of today.. the did another CT scan of her abdomen and found some spots on her liver …they are on contact with the Center of Disease Control because of all this being a mystery on why she has cirrhosis of the liver.. evidently she has had this since she was a child.. with no evidence on what caused all this..
She has become very popular with all the drs and nurses when they read her file.. they are all bound and determined to figure this out..they want to unravel this mystery …
They are throwing everything out there including the kitchen sink to kill any infection she has.. and Monday will be the day they will know for surethat she will be reinstated and put back on the liver transplant list..
#Kyriestrong
6/20/25
Day 38
Update on Kyrie…
She has improved so much today.. she is smiling and laughing with the nurses.. she is still on a liquid diet but is eating…
Tomorrow is the day where they will do a CT scan of her abdomen and do a blood work up to see if the infection is gone.. if everything goes according to plan they will put her back on the list for a transplant ..
We are still going moment by moment so I am hoping she is heading in the right direction..
#Kyriestrong
6/21/25
Day 39
Update on Kyrie..
She is still on good spirits and smiling more.. she is still doing good on her liquid diet and drinks her bland chicken noodle soup that is says it taste like “dirty dog water” hence why she drinks it though the straw to get it over and done with..
She did some physical therapy today and walked a short walk..
Just a little bit ago her platelets were low so they putting more platelets in her and her blood pressure started to drop so they gave her some calcium and was back to normal..
Tomorrow morning we should find out what the status will be if she will be put back on the list..
Still going moment by moment …
#kyriestrong
6/23/25
Day 40
Update on Kyrie…
She has been activated and put back on the liver transplant list!!!!
Because her MELD score is so high (its 43)she will be put at the top of the list.. it could happen on the next few days..
Some people don’t know what a MELD score is here is the run down of what it means..
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
MELD Score Range:
The MELD (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease) score is a numerical scale used to assess the severity of chronic liver disease in adults and children 12 years and older.
Lower End (6):
A score of 6 signifies that the patient's liver function is relatively well-preserved and they are not in immediate danger of liver failure.
Higher End (40):
A MELD score of 40 indicates very severe liver disease and a high risk of death within three months.
Waiting List Priority:
The MELD score is used to prioritize patients on the liver transplant waiting list, with higher scores receiving higher priority.
6/24/25
Day 41
Update on Kyrie…
After doing so good for the last few days she was really tired and slept a lot.. I have figured out when she sleeps a lot her blood pressure goes down..
She wasn’t looking forward to physical therapy but she did some stand to sit quite a few times and walked the floor and did amazing.. after her walk her blood pressure went back up..
We are still going moment by moment.. she will have her good days and bad days but thinks to the team here at the hospital they are all rallying behind her..
#Kyriestrong
6/25/25
Day 42
Update on Kyrie..
It’s physical therapy time!! She was able to do many reps on leg presses!! Little does she know this stimulates her leg strength then walking(ssshhh don’t tell her lol) but she will be doing a walk later..
There have been liver offers but they are still looking for the Ferrari liver..
Although she gets real mad at me for pushing her she ends up giving up and doing what I ask her to do as in eating and physical therapy.. not only am I her mom but I am a coach with many hats.. she knows I am only pushing her because I love her and wants what is best for her and she understands that…
#Kyriestrong
6/27/25
Day 43
Update on Kyrie..
I walk into her room and she is on full blown oxygen.. she had a hard time breathing last night.. purified foods and water have been taking away but she is on a feeding tube.. there was blood in her stool so they so she is on blood transfusion..
She is still on the CRRT for her kidneys because they are struggling..
They are in a figure of speech “using chewing gum to patch the issues” so they don’t have put her back on the ventilator..
Day by day I walk into her room not knowing what I am walking into.. everyday is different.. everyday I have to remain strong for her..
I walked out of her room a little bit ago to go outside and I heard the signal for code blue to room 6332 the room next to hers.. I stopped held my breath until I heard the 2 she is in room 6330..
Some are wondering why they are being picky on choosing the right liver.. here’s a analogy• you have 2 cars the same year butone has more mileage.. the one with the less mileage is going to be the best for her.. she is going to need the liver to last her her lifetime..
#Kyriestrong
I know lots of people have questions about Kyrie..
Why is PT so necessary?? Because of her liver failure it causes bone loss.. it’s unknown why.. her legs have a lot of water retention and they are swollen so it is necessary she either walks or does leg presses in her bed to strengthen her legs.. and most importantly her mental status.. she has been in bed for over a month and she is struggling mentally.. her mental health is the means to her liver transplant..
Her cirrhosis of the liver cause is unknown.. it’s all a mystery they are all trying to figure it out.. even the CDC Dr is involved.. everybody who comes across her chart is interested in her case.. she evidently has had a bad liver since a very young age and if the spleen hadn’t ruptured it could have gone some many way sideways..
I am not only her mom I am her coach there 7 days a week 8 hours a day encouraging her to eat and encouraging her to do PT.. some days aren’t easy when she fights with the nurses or the PT therapist.. I have to jump in to push her so she can push me back.. I have to remind her it’s a life or death situation and trust me it’s harder on me to say that to her.. depression in her situation I have so many hats on.. and it’s hard.. pushing her till she gets mad.. and I tell her everyday I am only doing this because I love her and if I didn’t care I could go right back to my hotel.. tough love is the hardest in this situation but she bounces back because she knows she needs me.. she is full of spitfire and I tell her that everyday.. I gave birth to a fighter and she can still fight..
Today after hearing code blue in the next room over I sat on the couch and just laid my head down thankful it wasn’t her.. she asked me if I was ok and I said yes just stretching my back.. trying to stay strong for her because she needs it..
6/28/25
Day 44
Update on Kyrie..
I talked to the liver dr and there may be a liver for her.. he will spend the next few hours analyzing it to be sure it is in perfect order for her.. I will find out tonight or tomorrow morning so fingers crossed this is the one..
So Kyrie could somewhat feel a little human her stepmom and I redid Kyrie’s hair.. it hasn’t been washed in a month and half..
I got some no rinse hair shampoo and we went to town on her hair brushing all the knots out.. got her hair totally soaked with the water spray and squeezed as much gunk out of her hair.. put some more leave in conditioner in her hair so her hair won’t be as bad.. it really helped it since the last time I put it in her hair it wasn’t as bad combing all the knots out..
Her stepmom rebraided her hair and made buns out of both sides so now she looks like Princess Leia..
this the liver for her..
#Kyriestrong
6/28/25
Day 45
Update on Kyrie…
LIVER TRANSPLANT SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW MORNING AT 8 AM!!!!
Whoop whoop!!!!!!!
6/29/25
Update 1 pm: Surgery started at 9 am they are calling me every 2 hours to give me an update.. they just called and they are now in the process of transplanting her new liver…
****5:45 pm update- they were supposed to call me every two hours and didn’t.. final update for tonight.. her liver is now functioning.. they weren’t able to repair the pancreas because she was losing a lot of blood.. they have her sedated and back on the ventilator for about 24 hours.. her blood pressure is good..*****@highlight
6/30/25
Day 47
Update on Kyrie..
She is being sedated and is on the ventilator but they are hoping they can ween her off by the end of the day..
Her new liver is functioning but she is still on the CRRT(dialysis) for her kidneys.. they weren’t able to repair her pancreas because she lost a lot of blood but they put a stent in it. next 24 hours we are hoping to see a difference with the new liver..
Her new liver is important to everything healing including her kidneys and pancreas…
Her back had been hurting so they are giving her pain meds.. she is able to respond with questions with a nod..
We are still going moment by moment..
Since Kyrie likes key chains I have been buying one a day to add to her collection..
#Kyriestrong
Organizer and beneficiary
Crystal McVay
Organizer
Redding, CA
Cheri Steffen
Beneficiary