Rally for Rachel's Recovery

My brother Robert and his forever partner Rachel found each other with a little help from above. Their bond is strong and these last 5 weeks have tested them in ways one can never prepare.

On Feb 19, Robert's birthday, Rachel was admitted to the hospital for what they thought would be a few days max. She had the flu and was struggling. By Friday 2/21, she was in the ICU on a vent. Her flu turned into staph pneumonia which triggered sepsis. There were days we didn't know if she would survive. In the beginning, the machines were doing all her breathing for her. Each day brought another setback. She was sedated while my brother sat and prayed by her bedside as long as the nurses would allow.

On March 7th, Rachel needed a trach and feeding tube as she reached the medically safe number of days she could be on the vent. She handled the surgery well and no longer needed to be sedated. She woke up later that day to see her mom and Robert by her side. She was weak and unable to move her body. Again, Robert and her mom would visit and progress was not always forward without a bump along the way.

Today, almost five weeks after her admission, Rachel's lungs still need a lot of healing. She can move her fingers and hands enough to wave, gaining strength each day. This afternoon, Rachel was transferred to a specialty care hospital (rehab). There, they can focus on trach care and getting her stronger with physical therapy.

We don't know what the future holds but we are praying for a full recovery. As you can imagine, there is a physical and emotional toll that has been taken on both Robert and Rachel. In addition, the financial impact of these situations can be challenging. Both are self-employed and unable to work for the last 5 weeks. Robert has been by her bedside every day until the nurses say he has to leave for the day. Their return to work is unknown. The medical bills will start coming in soon. I can't imagine what 30+ days in ICU costs and how much insurance will cover.

Those of you who know Robert and/or Rachel know they are very private people. Sometimes you have to lean on others to get you through difficult times. I'm not waiting for them to ask for help because they won't but their immediate family will ask. If you are so moved and can support them financially, it would be appreciated. We would be grateful for a prayer and a share. God Bless