March 29th Update: McKenzie took a huge turn for the worse and was transferred to the cardiac ICU on March 27th. Thankfully, she is receiving amazing care but there are still so many unanswered questions as to why she is having these life threatening episodes.
Thank you for your support and prayers.
On March 25th, Michelle’s daughter, McKenzie Wharton, underwent major surgery to remove a mass from her duodenum. What the family hoped would be a short hospital stay quickly became much more complicated. They are deeply grateful that the surgeon was able to remove the mass without needing a Whipple procedure, which meant McKenzie’s pancreas, small intestine, and gallbladder were preserved. Even with that good news, McKenzie is now facing a long and difficult recovery. She currently has a feeding tube that she will need for at least six weeks, along with a nasal tube to drain stomach fluids and monitor for possible pancreatic leaks.
This difficult journey began in late November, when McKenzie suffered a pulmonary embolism. During the scans and treatment for that emergency, doctors discovered the mass that led to months of testing and procedures. Since then, McKenzie has endured countless appointments, MRIs, CT scans, two endoscopy procedures, and now major surgery. The financial strain has continued to grow with every step. She is still paying off hospital bills from November, and when insurance reset in January, she had to meet her deductibles all over again. In addition, McKenzie will turn 26 in May and will lose coverage under her mom’s insurance, creating even more uncertainty at a time when she needs stability the most.
As McKenzie focuses on healing, she may be unable to work for several months while recovering and relying on the feeding tube. This fundraiser will help cover mounting medical bills, hospital stays, medication costs, car payments, insurance, and basic living expenses during this time. If you’re able to donate, share, or keep McKenzie in your thoughts and prayers, it would mean the world to the family. Every act of support helps ease the burden and gives McKenzie the chance to focus on what matters most: healing.