Join us in uplifting Elisia's family today

Elisia and Warren have walked a long and difficult road on their journey to welcome their miracle baby, Roselia.

At 24, Elisia faced a shocking diagnosis when a 19-pound cyst was discovered. It was the largest ever removed at Mary Lanning Hospital and had crushed one of her ovaries. The cyst tested positive for Stage 2 ovarian cancer.

Following several rounds of chemotherapy, Elisia achieved remission after a year and a half, though doctors warned her that her chances of having children were slim to none. The chemotherapy took a toll and cauaed many severe health complications, and in the years following, she was diagnosed with lupus, fibromyalgia, and a gluten allergy.

Despite the near impossibility of becoming pregnant, in 2016, Elisia discovered she was 6 months pregnant with her first precious child. Very shortly after discovering her pregnancy, Elisia was given the most devastating news- their sweet baby boy was diagnosed with Anencephaly, a fatal condition. Lysander Leo Jose Mendez was born still on October 26th, 2016. Elisia and Warren have grieved the loss of him every minute since.

Against all odds, in February of this year, Elisia discovered that she and Warren were expecting again! Due to her previous pregnancy, this was considered high-risk. After numerous tests and ultrasounds, the baby was found to be healthy. On September 16th, Elisia gave birth to their daughter, Roselia Estrella Dawn Mendez. Although she was three weeks early and had underdeveloped lungs, she was able to maintain her oxygen levels independently by the end of the week. Mother and baby were discharged from Mary Lanning Hospital on September 20th.

However, just two days later, on September 22nd, Elisia became incoherent and spiked a fever. She was rushed back to Mary Lanning Hospital, where several abdominal abscesses were discovered. She was immediately flown to Bryan East for emergency surgery, during which her blood pressure dropped, requiring intubation.

On Monday, September 23rd, another abscess and a severe uterine infection were found. Doctors urgently contacted her family, explaining that an emergency hysterectomy was needed to save her life. The infection was found to be gangrene, and her condition was critical. Elisia was intubated for the rest of the week and underwent multiple surgeries. Family and friends gathered, uncertain if she would survive. Finally, on Monday night, she stabilized after a long battle.

Over four surgeries, the infection was cleared, but it left a significant wound spanning across her entire abdomen.

On Friday, September 27th, she was strong enough to be extubated and began breathing on her own. Though the worst of the crisis was over, her road to recovery had only just begun.

Elisia remained on antibiotics and, surrounded by loved ones, started the slow path toward healing. After two more weeks at Bryan East, she was transferred to a rehabilitation center, where she began therapy to regain strength. The wound remains large and requires a wound vac to keep it clean. Despite ongoing infections, she has made remarkable progress. Each day, she is growing stronger—sitting up, feeding herself, standing, and she is now able to walk up to 100 feet. Caring for her daughter, Roselia is also part of her recovery. She spends as much time with her as she can, and she has grown strong enough to begin to help care for her more and more.

Soon, Elisia will be transitioning from intensive therapy to acute therapy, with hopes of coming home soon. Elisia’s journey has been marked by extraordinary obstacles, but with love, support, and determination, she continues to fight for a full recovery.

Your support can help Elisia as she works towards healing and reuniting with her family full-time. Any contribution is deeply appreciated and will aid in her continued care and recovery. Thank you for being a part of Elisia’s story and helping her on this path to recovery.