On March 3rd, Zia went to the emergency room at Oregon Health & Science University with severe abdominal pain. What we thought might be appendicitis turned out to be far worse: her appendix had already ruptured, spilling infection throughout her abdomen. She was diagnosed with sepsis (a life-threatening condition where infection overwhelms the body) and admitted immediately.

That was ten days ago. She is still hospitalized.

After being kept in an ER hallway, Zia was boarded for six days in a post-anesthesia overflow unit (not a regular hospital bed, but an overflow area) while septic and fighting a life-threatening abdominal infection.

The infection caused multiple abscesses (pockets of infected fluid) to form throughout her abdomen and pelvis. She has undergone two separate drain placement procedures, and she now has three drains removing infected material from her body. The bacteria causing her infection turned out to be drug-resistant, requiring specialized IV antibiotics and management by an infectious disease team. She has a PICC line for long-term IV access, and because the infection has shut down her digestive system, she's been receiving nutrition intravenously.

Despite all of this, the infection has not been fully controlled. At least one large abscess cannot be reached by the current drains and is growing. Today she is going back for another drain placement procedure, her third. Even once this acute crisis resolves, she will still need surgery weeks from now to remove her appendix.

Zia is in severe pain, unable to eat, nauseated, and facing a hospitalization with no clear end date. She has been in the hospital for ten days and counting, with more procedures ahead and a surgery still to come after that.

Whatever you can give will help Zia focus on getting well instead of worrying about bills. Thank you for helping.