Stand with Melanie: Aid Her Recovery Efforts

An update as of 6/20/25:

Melanie has been transferred to Texas Children’s Hospital where she is receiving wonderful care from the best orthopedists, pulmonologists, respiratory care providers, and surgical trauma team. She is still needing the ventilator to help her breathe safely and keep her arterial blood gasses under control. She also has still has bilateral chest tubes. After having to bag her for quite some time to allow them to work to get old blood and unwanted phlegm from around her lungs, they were able to replace one of the chest tubes and get her stable again. Because of these complications, the doctors made the decision to put her on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to give her heart and lungs a break. The ECMO will circulate the blood outside of her body to give those organs some much needed rest. The lungs are struggling more so than her heart, but without resting both, the heart could start to deteriorate as well so this is the best choice for promoting her healing for now. As with any medical complications, the bills are unfortunately adding up. Please consider donating to ease that burden on her family during this trying time. Moreover-whether you are able to donate or not-please keep her and her family in your prayers as they navigate these setbacks on the pathway to a total recovery.

Original:

Melanie is a beautiful and bright girl who was in a terrible car accident earlier this week and is currently intubated in the hospital. She has two collapsed lungs that both required chest tubes and is also anxiously awaiting the many surgeries she will need to fix multiple fractures-including many on her spine, ribs, and hips. She has had to miss the final days of her senior year of high school hooked up to many tubes and waiting on doctors to decide the best course of action for her plethora of injuries. Her mom, Jenny, is a wonderful colleague of mine and a wonderful mother. Their family could use any and all help they can get in order to ease some of the financial burden of this stay so that they can focus on helping her to heal. If you are able, please consider donating to the cause for this wonderful family. Even if you are not, please keep them in your prayers. Melanie is a fighter and will overcome this!