Mark Stith Medical Emergency Relief
Donation protected
Our dreams for Mark and Courtney:
When we think about Mark and Courtney, we think of their love and their laughter. We think of their stunning fall wedding only 3 years ago. We dream about how they would have decorated their new home for Christmas. We dream about them starting a family, welcoming children who share their infectious smiles. But on November 12, those dreams were shattered. No one could ever have imagined a 31-year-old in good health would experience the medical drama that continues to unfold.
An Ordinary Doctor’s Visit:
In November, Mark began feeling pain in his leg. He went to the doctor on November 12 for a pulled muscle. He was prescribed a round of steroids and a muscle relaxer. The next day, he started feeling strange. A weakness and dizziness set in. That evening, she found him struggling to stay conscious, couldn’t form sentences and suddenly found he couldn’t see. They rushed him to the emergency room only to discover Mark is diabetic. Left undiagnosed, the steroid dose had pushed him into diabetic ketoacidosis. The doctors sprang into action.
A Mystery Infection:
Mark was admitted into the ICU to monitor his insulin. They ran a full workup with labs and imaging to discover something shocking. The labs showed a systemic infection throughout his body that was determined to be MRSA. Mark was sedated, intubated and placed on a ventilator as the infection raged through his system and the medical team struggled to find its source. After three days, he went into acute kidney failure and was sent via MediVac helicopter on November 16 to Georgetown Hospital.
No Answers:
Mark was admitted to Georgetown and would spend 27 days in the hospital with round the clock care. He was on the ventilator for 9 days and stayed in intensive care for a full two weeks. While there, doctors worked tirelessly to find and eliminate the root cause of the infection. The MRSA bacteremia in his bloodstream caused acute kidney failure leading to his need for dialysis and acute pancreatitis. While they worked, doctors identified small bowel obstruction, abscesses on the prostate and iliopsoas muscle, septic pulmonary emboli, and 2 DVT in his right leg. Finally, he began to stabilize.
I’ll be home for Christmas:
Once stable, Mark started to look and sound more like himself. He listened to the doctors and followed their instructions. He put a significant effort into his rehab and did wonderfully. They thought he would need four weeks of rehab, but after only two, there was significant improvement. After a total of 40 days in the hospital and rehab, he was released in time for Christmas with strict instructions. He was sent home with IV antibiotics, 3 infusions a day, along with a bunch of other medications. Courtney learned from the nurses how to administer the IV and the infusions to make sure she could care for him.
Not out of the Woods:
After enjoying the holiday, Mark and Courtney thought they could breathe a sigh of relief. Everything going well with antibiotics and PT at home. It seemed like they were almost out of the woods. His kidneys were looking great, they were managing his diabetes, and Mark went from a walker to a cane. They went back to a standard follow up appointment on January 13. The doctors did some test and Mark and Courtney left to go home. But they got a call to turn around urgently and return. The scan showed that the infection had seeded in Mark’s hip joint and the head and neck of his femur. He was admitted again that night.
Living in a Medical Drama:
Again, the medical team mobilized to assess what needed to happen. MRI, CT, and X-ray all showed that the infection in his bone was significant and they needed to get it out. Now, he's in for a two -part partial hip replacement.
Part 1 is an antibiotic coated spacer, and he can walk on it. This part was completed on 1/17. The antibiotic spacer stays in for at least 6-8 weeks, along with more IV antibiotics. Once there are absolutely no signs of infection, Mark sees a joint specialist, and the permanent hip joint surgery happens. Meanwhile, his anemia is getting worse. He has been anemic from the antibiotics before, but it was manageable. Now he is receiving periodic transfusions. While the surgeons say it's expected after the type of surgery he had, they are still working it up to make sure there's nothing else that's causing it.
How Can You Help?
At this point, Mark and Courtney have seen thousands of dollars of medical bills, and that’s only in the bills. Both Mark and Courtney have been unable to work their normal schedules and Mark will not be able to return to work until after the second surgery. When he returns, he may not be able to work in his same capacity. While both Mark and Courtney’s employers have been supportive, it is uncertain when they will be able to return to full-time schedules.
We want to help them to be able to focus on Mark’s recovery. This fundraiser would go towards their medical expenses, the household expenses, and reducing the worry about how they will afford to take the time for Mark to get well again.
While we still aren’t sure what caused this nightmare to begin, we hope that this fundraiser will allow them to take comfort in each other and focus on all the good that can come after this chapter ends. Our goal is that it can give them hope. Hope that they are at the end of this nightmare. Hope for all the dreams that young newlyweds should be dreaming. Hope for better, easier days.
Thank you for thinking of donating, any bit helps.
When we think about Mark and Courtney, we think of their love and their laughter. We think of their stunning fall wedding only 3 years ago. We dream about how they would have decorated their new home for Christmas. We dream about them starting a family, welcoming children who share their infectious smiles. But on November 12, those dreams were shattered. No one could ever have imagined a 31-year-old in good health would experience the medical drama that continues to unfold.
An Ordinary Doctor’s Visit:
In November, Mark began feeling pain in his leg. He went to the doctor on November 12 for a pulled muscle. He was prescribed a round of steroids and a muscle relaxer. The next day, he started feeling strange. A weakness and dizziness set in. That evening, she found him struggling to stay conscious, couldn’t form sentences and suddenly found he couldn’t see. They rushed him to the emergency room only to discover Mark is diabetic. Left undiagnosed, the steroid dose had pushed him into diabetic ketoacidosis. The doctors sprang into action.
A Mystery Infection:
Mark was admitted into the ICU to monitor his insulin. They ran a full workup with labs and imaging to discover something shocking. The labs showed a systemic infection throughout his body that was determined to be MRSA. Mark was sedated, intubated and placed on a ventilator as the infection raged through his system and the medical team struggled to find its source. After three days, he went into acute kidney failure and was sent via MediVac helicopter on November 16 to Georgetown Hospital.
No Answers:
Mark was admitted to Georgetown and would spend 27 days in the hospital with round the clock care. He was on the ventilator for 9 days and stayed in intensive care for a full two weeks. While there, doctors worked tirelessly to find and eliminate the root cause of the infection. The MRSA bacteremia in his bloodstream caused acute kidney failure leading to his need for dialysis and acute pancreatitis. While they worked, doctors identified small bowel obstruction, abscesses on the prostate and iliopsoas muscle, septic pulmonary emboli, and 2 DVT in his right leg. Finally, he began to stabilize.
I’ll be home for Christmas:
Once stable, Mark started to look and sound more like himself. He listened to the doctors and followed their instructions. He put a significant effort into his rehab and did wonderfully. They thought he would need four weeks of rehab, but after only two, there was significant improvement. After a total of 40 days in the hospital and rehab, he was released in time for Christmas with strict instructions. He was sent home with IV antibiotics, 3 infusions a day, along with a bunch of other medications. Courtney learned from the nurses how to administer the IV and the infusions to make sure she could care for him.
Not out of the Woods:
After enjoying the holiday, Mark and Courtney thought they could breathe a sigh of relief. Everything going well with antibiotics and PT at home. It seemed like they were almost out of the woods. His kidneys were looking great, they were managing his diabetes, and Mark went from a walker to a cane. They went back to a standard follow up appointment on January 13. The doctors did some test and Mark and Courtney left to go home. But they got a call to turn around urgently and return. The scan showed that the infection had seeded in Mark’s hip joint and the head and neck of his femur. He was admitted again that night.
Living in a Medical Drama:
Again, the medical team mobilized to assess what needed to happen. MRI, CT, and X-ray all showed that the infection in his bone was significant and they needed to get it out. Now, he's in for a two -part partial hip replacement.
Part 1 is an antibiotic coated spacer, and he can walk on it. This part was completed on 1/17. The antibiotic spacer stays in for at least 6-8 weeks, along with more IV antibiotics. Once there are absolutely no signs of infection, Mark sees a joint specialist, and the permanent hip joint surgery happens. Meanwhile, his anemia is getting worse. He has been anemic from the antibiotics before, but it was manageable. Now he is receiving periodic transfusions. While the surgeons say it's expected after the type of surgery he had, they are still working it up to make sure there's nothing else that's causing it.
How Can You Help?
At this point, Mark and Courtney have seen thousands of dollars of medical bills, and that’s only in the bills. Both Mark and Courtney have been unable to work their normal schedules and Mark will not be able to return to work until after the second surgery. When he returns, he may not be able to work in his same capacity. While both Mark and Courtney’s employers have been supportive, it is uncertain when they will be able to return to full-time schedules.
We want to help them to be able to focus on Mark’s recovery. This fundraiser would go towards their medical expenses, the household expenses, and reducing the worry about how they will afford to take the time for Mark to get well again.
While we still aren’t sure what caused this nightmare to begin, we hope that this fundraiser will allow them to take comfort in each other and focus on all the good that can come after this chapter ends. Our goal is that it can give them hope. Hope that they are at the end of this nightmare. Hope for all the dreams that young newlyweds should be dreaming. Hope for better, easier days.
Thank you for thinking of donating, any bit helps.
Organizer and beneficiary
Katrina Mcgrady
Organizer
Burtonsville, MD
Courtney Stith
Beneficiary