Help Nicole with Health Care Expenses
Donation protected
2020 has been an awful and challenging time for many families. At the beginning of the pandemic, we found out that our sister Nicole was pregnant, and we were all so excited about this miracle, and our growing family. Nicole's pregnancy went great! She was healthy, and the baby was progressing right on track. During her final doctor visit one week before her delivery date, her blood pressure was very high, and it was at that point Doctors decided she needed to be induced. Once admitted, and after 9 hours of no progression (in order to keep Nicole and baby safe), they did a C-Section. Once in recovery, they noticed that she didn't stop bleeding. They flagged it as a code blue and she underwent a 6-hour surgery. She had a tracheal stent and breathing tubes. They could not get the bleeding under control. They removed an organ, she had a blood transfusion, and was given blood-clotting medicine. During this surgery, she was given 20 units of blood. The human body has 10 units, so essentially she bled out twice. She was in ICU, and couldn't be with her baby. Our prayers were answered and the bleeding began to slow and eventually stopped. Doctors and nurses told Nicole the next day that if she were at any other hospital in Texas, she wouldn't have made it. Luckily Nicole had been seeing a doctor in Austin, Texas and the hospital she delivered at had enough blood to save her life.
Nicole was definitely discharged too early. Two weeks after surgery she had a follow-up appointment. They stopped for lunch first, and when Nicole stepped out of the car, there was blood everywhere. She was rushed to the emergency room, they cut off all of her clothes, and she was back in for another 6-hour surgery. During this surgery, they removed two more of her organs. The doctors were stumped as to why the uncontrollable bleeding started again. Another Tracheal stent and breathing tubes, and in the ICU, away from her baby again. This time she lost 23 units of blood. Unfortunately during her 2nd surgery, they nicked her bladder, and she is home for a month with a catheter. She isn't out of the woods yet. She has had some challenges with recovering and has had a couple of infections, and her Doctors are continuing to monitor her healing and recovery. She lost so much blood during both surgeries, that the Doctors could not believe that her brain was still functioning normally.
When your loved one is expecting a new baby, it's usually a time of excitement and joy. It turned into a complete nightmare. We thought that would lose Nicole, and it's still possible. Life and death were present at the exact same time and we are blessed that Nicole and Jagger both made it through that birthing experience alive. Jagger is healthy, Nicole is fragile. Nicole's strength is to be admired, as even while coming in and out of consciousness, she could only worry about Jagger. She is still in the beginning stages of postpartum and getting acclimated to being a mother of a newborn all over again. Her other children are 11 and 18 so in a sense, Mike and Nicole are "starting over" trying to heal and stay healthy.
Just a few months prior to Nicole and her medical tragedy, her husband was in the hospital and almost lost his life as well. Finally recovered from his illnesses and surgery, he is able to get back to work and be a much needed presence in Nicole's recovery. Both Nicole and Mike are self-employed and have been affected by the pandemic, surgeries, and hospital stays.
We put together this GoFundMe to support Nicole. Most of her friends and the majority of her family are in California, and the distance and impact of Covid-19 have made it even more difficult to support her during this challenging time. It's not as easy for us to drop off a meal, help with household chores, or physically be there for her. Between Nicole's birth experience and Mike's health issues, they are getting hit with massive amounts of medical bills. We are hoping this GoFundMe will offer some financial relief and ease the amount of stress Nicole is going through so she can focus on recovery, and hopefully back to a fulfilling career someday. Nicole simply can't be there for her new baby, other children, or anyone else until she is fully recovered. The last thing anyone wants to ask for is help, however, my sister needs it, so we have to ask. There isn't a donation too small. Thank you all so much for listening to her story.
Nicole was definitely discharged too early. Two weeks after surgery she had a follow-up appointment. They stopped for lunch first, and when Nicole stepped out of the car, there was blood everywhere. She was rushed to the emergency room, they cut off all of her clothes, and she was back in for another 6-hour surgery. During this surgery, they removed two more of her organs. The doctors were stumped as to why the uncontrollable bleeding started again. Another Tracheal stent and breathing tubes, and in the ICU, away from her baby again. This time she lost 23 units of blood. Unfortunately during her 2nd surgery, they nicked her bladder, and she is home for a month with a catheter. She isn't out of the woods yet. She has had some challenges with recovering and has had a couple of infections, and her Doctors are continuing to monitor her healing and recovery. She lost so much blood during both surgeries, that the Doctors could not believe that her brain was still functioning normally.
When your loved one is expecting a new baby, it's usually a time of excitement and joy. It turned into a complete nightmare. We thought that would lose Nicole, and it's still possible. Life and death were present at the exact same time and we are blessed that Nicole and Jagger both made it through that birthing experience alive. Jagger is healthy, Nicole is fragile. Nicole's strength is to be admired, as even while coming in and out of consciousness, she could only worry about Jagger. She is still in the beginning stages of postpartum and getting acclimated to being a mother of a newborn all over again. Her other children are 11 and 18 so in a sense, Mike and Nicole are "starting over" trying to heal and stay healthy.
Just a few months prior to Nicole and her medical tragedy, her husband was in the hospital and almost lost his life as well. Finally recovered from his illnesses and surgery, he is able to get back to work and be a much needed presence in Nicole's recovery. Both Nicole and Mike are self-employed and have been affected by the pandemic, surgeries, and hospital stays.
We put together this GoFundMe to support Nicole. Most of her friends and the majority of her family are in California, and the distance and impact of Covid-19 have made it even more difficult to support her during this challenging time. It's not as easy for us to drop off a meal, help with household chores, or physically be there for her. Between Nicole's birth experience and Mike's health issues, they are getting hit with massive amounts of medical bills. We are hoping this GoFundMe will offer some financial relief and ease the amount of stress Nicole is going through so she can focus on recovery, and hopefully back to a fulfilling career someday. Nicole simply can't be there for her new baby, other children, or anyone else until she is fully recovered. The last thing anyone wants to ask for is help, however, my sister needs it, so we have to ask. There isn't a donation too small. Thank you all so much for listening to her story.
Co-organizers (2)
Ria Boyce
Organizer
Castro Valley, CA
NICOLE PETTY
Beneficiary
HEATHER BOYCE
Co-organizer