Hi Everyone. My name is Lina, youngest daughter of Gail Kent, and I set up this site along with my brothers and sisters to support my mom and stepdad, Lon, through a challenging medical situation that they are currently dealing with.

About 2 weeks ago, Gail began experiencing a sharp pain in her side and considerable swelling in her abdomen. It happened to coincide with her beginning a weight loss regimen that includes pre-packaged meals, snacks, and shakes. The pain started the very next day and after several days of pain, she was taken to the emergency room. Because of the suspected cause, it was assumed it was a blocked intestine and she was treated for that and sent home, but the pain and inflammation would not go away. The following Monday she was able to make an appointment with her primary care doctor who could not find anything that would explain her symptoms, so she was referred to Otsego Memorial Hospital in Gaylord for further testing. They were unable to find the cause, so she was transferred to Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, where she continued to experience pain and then began having trouble breathing, so was put on oxygen. Her liver enzyme levels were also off the charts high. Further testing revealed white spots on her liver, a sign of dead tissue potentially caused by the lack of oxygen. Munson exhausted their testing options and she was referred to the University of Michigan Medical Center. She had to be transferred by ambulance to keep her on oxygen and under medical supervision. It is currently unclear if her insurance will be covering this transfer.

She's now at UofM and resting in between rounds of testing, as the cause for the inflammation and pain is still unknown. She's currently undergoing a series of x-rays. Her liver levels have come down, but they are not within the normal range. She hasn't been able to eat anything in several weeks and is only able to consume liquids. There is a risk of pneumonia since she is not able to take full deep breaths on her own due to the swelling in her abdomen. Lon is staying in a nearby hotel to be by her side while she fights her way through whatever is going on inside her body.

I know in times like this, friends and family want to help and this is one of the ways that we can rally together to provide support. Please send your love, prayers, and positive and healing thoughts. I will try to provide updates here as soon as we have them. Thank you to everyone who has reached out with offers to help. We really appreciate your support and hope to be able to bring her home as soon as possible.