Kimberly Davis Hospital And Living Fund
Kim is currently in Jacksonville, FL at the Mayo Clinic. Her first appointment at the clinic was Oct 7 and she will be visiting the clinic continuously until the end of October. As the visits progress, her stay in Florida could be extended.
She planned to leave the Mayo Clinic Oct 11, but once she arrived and had the initial consultation the clinic decided she needs to see many specialists to determine if hydrocephalus is the only issue she is facing. As of Oct 9, she has learned that there are issues coming from the brain stem and back of her brain that were not found previously that need to be addressed.
If you are new to Kim's story, here is some information:
Kim began getting sick before Thanksgiving 2019 and was not able to eat anything except applesauce, toast, and jello.
Initially they tested her gallbladder then diagnosed her with GERDS. She was admitted to the hospital twice in November.
On Dec 8, 2019 (after a few days of neck and head pain) unable to hold food down again, she went to the ER. They told her she had a neck spasm and sent her home.
Around Dec 27th the head/neck pain had not stopped and they did an MRI. Her entire brain was swollen with fluid surrounding. She was transferred to Huntsville Hospital.
On Dec 28th she went into an unexplained coma and the neurosurgeon placed an emergency drain into her brain to remove pressure. They tested for many things but did not find a reason for the sudden brain swelling. She was diagnosed with hydrocephalus and a shunt was placed during brain surgery.
On Jan 10th 2020 she was transferred to inpatient rehab for a little over a month where they tried to get her urinary, bowel, and walking functions back on track. She was given speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. Her speech, walking, physical abilities, and bathroom abilities have been affected since brain surgery.
After she was discharged from inpatient rehab, COVID hit the US, and she was not able to get outpatient therapy for months. Around July 2020 she got outpatient therapy and they continued to work with her. She is now able to walk with a walker short distances but spends 95% of her time in a wheelchair because of a shocking, burning sensation that affects her balance and abilities. The left side of her body is weaker than the right and her arm jumps often, so she cannot physically handle things like she used to with her hands. She still faces many issues and cannot do a lot for herself yet.
After 2 months of outpatient therapy, she obtained home therapy for assistance. Her daughter works from home and helps her with food preparation, changing her, and other things. Her son also lives with her and helps her with transportation and other tasks as needed. She can no longer drive or work. She has been denied disability and is working on an appeal.
Kim currently is paying for COBRA, which is very expensive and is on many medications- all of which are not covered by insurance. God has been very good and with his grace and blessings family and friends have came together to help out Kim. Any donations to help her family during this time would be greatly appreciated. Her daughter continues to bottom out her PTO as it accrues because of time needed of, and currently has no paid time off left for the Mayo Clinic Trip.
God Bless! You can follow her page on Facebook for medical updates at:
