Hello,

My name is Shelly Ketchum. For the ones who do not know, please let me introduce you to two of the most fun, loving, wonderful, kindhearted, thoughtful, and amazing people that I’m so honored & blessed to call my best friends, Irene & Ki Gillies. I would like to share their story in hopes to not only help you understand what they have been going through but also the difficult journey they have ahead of them to have a successful recovery in which Irene is in desperate need of.

Last summer Irene had started to feel fatigued and felt some shortness of breath. This continued & seemed to worsen over the next couple up months even while doing the simplest of activity. After developing a few more concerning symptoms, she knew it was time for answers. It was discovered that at some point during the summer, possibly during an early June flight to California, she had developed blood clots. Multiple, some small & some quite large. She was admitted and medically treated. Unfortunately, the treatment & medications were unsuccessful in her recovery and was then referred to a Pulmonary Specialist at Froedtert Medical College in Milwaukee. She learned the clots had manifested in her lungs and were continuing to cause pulmonary hypertension. In return this also caused distress & too much pressure to the right side of her heart, which caused the heart to thicken and become enlarged as it struggled to pump blood into her lungs. There’s a name for it and she was diagnosed with it. Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). It’s a rare and potentially fatal form of elevated blood pressure in the lungs and occurs when the blood vessels in the lungs have been blocked for a long period of time.

From that moment on her life had changed and hasn’t been the same since. Luckily there is a medication that was prescribed which assisted her with reducing the pressure to the heart, but until those clots are surgically removed, she continues to be primarily home bound as the littlest of activity is extremely difficult for her. She was also instructed that oxygen is needed while at rest and during her night’s sleep which she faithfully depends on every day and night.

Irene recently received the long awaited call from the head of the cardiovascular department at UC San Deigo Medical Center, informing her that not only was she approved for the PTE surgery, but they want to do it sooner than later as her test result numbers are very ”emergent”. What Irene has is very rare. The surgery is even more rare. Only about 5,200 have ever been performed. But the results are VERY promising. This surgery will take 8-10 hour where her chest will be opened, she will be put on a bypass machine and then cooled to 62 degrees. They will stop the machine, flat line her to have a 20-minute window of bloodless surgery. This will be repeated until all the clots are removed. In totally Irene will spend up to 3 weeks in San Deigo. Then back home to continue her recovery which could take another 4-6 weeks.

The reason I share this is because as you can imagine, this family will be experiencing a very long hard road to recovery but most importantly what also comes with this is a very large financial burden that hopefully most of us will never have to experience. And even though there are those loved ones who have volunteered to accompany her out to San Deigo…we all know the ONE certain person that deserves and should be out there with her during this time, her husband, Ki! He needs to be there with her & deserves to be there without as much financial burden as possible. Again, this is a very long and scary surgery. Noone should ever have to experience this without their spouse and/or person. I believe it the other way around as well. Ki desperately needs & should be there with her for himself too.

We all know Ki works extremely hard for his family and can, of course, get the time off but as some of us know being in the trades, there is no paid vacation time. This leaves them not only experiencing the loss of their income during a lengthy amount of time, but they must now also worry about the additional cost that comes with this. It all adds up very quickly. Especially taking in consideration for the flights, room & board, transportation to and from hospital and food!

This story now turns to you and me… and then everyone that this reaches. Together, we can make a difference. Please, find it in your heart to donate what you can. Help me lift this, soon to come, extreme financial burden from this wonderful family.

I truly hope and pray with the wonderful & grateful generosity from us has Irene and Ki traveling to San Deigo, less stressed and worried. I wish nothing more than the ability for them to concentrate on nothing but a having a successful surgery and then a safe trip back home to finish out the time needed for Irene’s full recovery!!

And please, if for any reason you are not able to help support financially, that’s ok too. I appreciate you taking the time to read my letter and listen to me tell you about my closest and dearest friend, Irene, and the upcoming battle she and her family face. Prayers and good thoughts are needed just as much and would be so very appreciative.

Lastly, it would also be very helpful if everyone could forward this story on to friends, family and loved ones for their support as well. We could use all the help we can.

Thank you in advance for all your support. It truly means the world to our families.

Sincerely,

Shelly Ketchum.

p.s. For those who are not comfortable donating through this platform and or wish to donate/contribute another way, please contact me directly. Again, thank you! God Bless