Help Lisa Come Home and Get Through This

Hi, my name is Brenna and I’m trying to raise money to help with all of my mom’s medical bills. We are going through one of the scariest and hardest times we have ever gone through. The least I can do is start to help with the medical expenses so there is a little less worry if she can come home.

Anyone who knows or met Lisa knows she is one of a kind. She always finds a way to light up any room she walks into. She has a contagious smile and laugh. Along with the best sense of humor. Lisa is one of the strongest women I have ever met. No matter how hard life gets, she never gives up. She is my role model. Anyone who knows Lisa and me together knows we are inseparable. She is my rock and I couldn't imagine life without her. She has always been supportive in everything I do and has always been there when I needed her. She is the best mom anyone could have ever asked for. Lisa has touched so many lives and has made an impact on anyone she has ever met.

Unfortunately, on January 23, 2023, she was rushed to the emergency room due to her having a hard time breathing and an extremely low oxygen level. She was given two breathing treatments and the highest level of oxygen they could give her in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. She was in very rough shape, to the point her color started to change. Once in the ER, she was still on the highest level of oxygen with both the nasal and facial oxygen masks. Anytime the doctors or nurses tried to take one of the masks off and/or wean the level of oxygen she was getting down, her body’s oxygen level would plummet again. After 5-6 hours in the ER, she was admitted to the ICU. The next couple of days the doctors ran a bunch of tests to rule out the most serious conditions, diseases, and diagnoses. All her labs and tests came back normal. That’s when the doctors concluded that she had a severe lung infection on top of severe pneumonia. Her lungs were in very bad shape. They continued to do breathing treatments and take chest x-rays daily. Even with doing that, she was slowly getting worse each day and was completely maxed out on the oxygen through the masks.

On January 26, 2023, I received a call from the ICU that I never expected. The doctors said she had to be put on a ventilator now before it became emergent. They were still waiting for the steroids and antibiotics to kick in, but for the time being she was maxed out on the oxygen and anything else they could do while she was awake. It was the best option for her at the time for her body to rest, recover, and respond to the medications she was on. So that night she was officially put on the ventilator. It was the scariest night of my life and I’m sure it was hers as well.

After a day of being on the vent, her medications finally started to kick in and she slowly started to improve. Her vent settings were starting to get lowered, and her infections and pneumonia started to improve. The doctors and nurses explained to me that they prefer people to be on the vent for two weeks to avoid any added damage to her throat anatomy. After hearing that and seeing her slowly start to improve, I was hopeful. After a week of being on the vent, her infection and pneumonia were gone and she was officially off the antibiotics. Again, things were looking better and better. She reached her lowest vent settings so far and I finally thought this nightmare was starting to end…

However, the next day she took a turn for the worse. The doctors said it was most likely due to the residual inflammation in her lungs from the infection, pneumonia, asthma, etc. since all her lab work was still coming back normal. They gave her more steroids to help with the inflammation and more sedation to keep her calm and comfortable. Unfortunately, it hasn’t helped so far as her vent settings continued to increase each day I saw her…

Lisa is now on day 11 of being on the vent and two weeks in the ICU. The doctors, nurses, and I have started to talk about the next steps since the two-week mark is fastly approaching. The next step would be a tracheostomy. The only issue with that is she would have to be transferred to a long-term rehab facility two hours away. The facility has had good results with situations similar to hers. I feel this could have a good chance of helping her get better.

While we are still taking it one day at a time, there is still one thing I have to worry about…all of her medical bills. It has just been me and my mom alone down here with little income between the two of us. I would do anything to help my mom get better, she’s a fighter and I know she's not done fighting yet, so we are going to do whatever it takes. No matter the cost, despite our current financial situation. There will be so many bills to come from all of this that we can’t afford on our own. From the ambulance ride, ER visit, scans, labs, tests, and everything else from her ICU stay. As well as the possibility of being transferred, staying in a long-term rehab facility, for who knows how long, and all the bills that will come from that stay.

I have been by my moms' side through it all. I’m her only child and the only family close by to be with her. I’m only 22 years old trying to juggle work, home, and being there for my mom all by myself. It’s terrifying, stressful, and anxiety-inducing. I have been through A LOT in my short life so far, but I always had my mom by my side through it all. As much as it hurts and is breaking my heart to see her like this, I refuse to leave her side. She made me who I am today and I can’t imagine my life without her there. I’ve had a glimpse of it the past two weeks and it hurts so bad. If she can get better and come home, the last thing I would want is for her to stress and worry over the medical bills that essentially saved her life.

Please…anything can help. If you can’t afford to donate I understand and it’s okay, but sharing will be just as much help! Please help me get my mom home and get these medical bills covered...