This is my 16-year-old niece, Alicia. She had been sick with a cough, and almost one week later, her symptoms had worsened, so she went back to the doctor. She was diagnosed with an ear infection and pneumonia. The next morning, on Tuesday, Alicia had her first seizure. Before the paramedics could get her in the ambulance, she had a second seizure. Between 6:45 am and 1 pm, she had a total of 8 seizures and was unresponsive, so she was transferred to the PICU. She has remained in a coma since, and a breathing tube was placed to ensure she wouldn’t stop breathing. An MRI revealed considerable brain swelling. A second MRI later that evening showed worsening brain swelling. So far, doctors have speculated on two theories but have not determined the exact cause and are waiting for tests and cultures to come back. In the meantime, they are aggressively treating her to cover all bases, but we were told to expect her to remain in the PICU for at least 10 days and are unsure when she will come out of the coma. My sister is a single mother to Alicia and her sister, Lilly. I am sure there will be considerable medical bills, even after insurance. If you can help, any amount will make a difference. Myself, my sister, our mom, and my nieces will be forever grateful.