After months of anticipation, my fiancé Alisha and I welcomed our baby boy, Zachary Thomas Manausa Jr., into the world six months ago. Alisha went through three exhausting days of labor before needing an emergency c-section. While our son arrived healthy and strong, Alisha lost a significant amount of blood and needed a transfusion to recover. We spent a week in the hospital, hoping things would get easier once we returned home. The first week was filled with the usual challenges—Alisha was sore and healing, and we were both adjusting to life with a newborn, especially as she worked hard to breastfeed our big, healthy baby.
Soon, things took a devastating turn. Alisha began experiencing severe abdominal pain, loss of bowel control, and extreme fatigue. She went to the ER and was referred to a gastroenterologist, but before she could get answers, her symptoms worsened. After more ER visits and tests, she was diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis. She started passing blood and pieces of her digestive tract, losing fluids while still trying to care for our baby. Hospital stays became frequent, and after a drug infusion, her symptoms became life-threatening. We are now on our tenth day in the hospital, with no end in sight. I haven’t been able to work because our baby depends on his mother for milk, and we haven’t been able to wean him yet. With four other kids at home, no income, and mounting bills, this disease is threatening to break us.
Alisha has been fighting for her life, while raising four children including a newborn. She hasn’t slept, can barely eat, has been a prisoner to our home and to hospital rooms since she can’t travel more than ten minutes at a time. The hospital requires that I am present to help care for the baby, and also so they aren’t liable for him if she were to pass away. With her disease progressing so fast and the reality of the situation really hitting us, we realize that we need some help. We can’t do this on our own anymore and we just pray that we make it through this physically, mentally, spiritually and financially. Thank you for reading Alisha’s story.
The funds from this fundraiser will help us cover our children’s needs—food, clothing, care, and activities—while we’re in the hospital. They’ll help pay our utility and phone bills, vehicle expenses, and Alisha’s aftercare, medications, and special foods for recovery. We also need help with baby supplies like diapers and wipes. I’ve always worked hard and never asked for help, but we are out of options. Anything you can give will help us keep our home, feed our kids, and support Alisha’s recovery. Please help us get through this so mama can heal and I can care for our children.
Soon, things took a devastating turn. Alisha began experiencing severe abdominal pain, loss of bowel control, and extreme fatigue. She went to the ER and was referred to a gastroenterologist, but before she could get answers, her symptoms worsened. After more ER visits and tests, she was diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis. She started passing blood and pieces of her digestive tract, losing fluids while still trying to care for our baby. Hospital stays became frequent, and after a drug infusion, her symptoms became life-threatening. We are now on our tenth day in the hospital, with no end in sight. I haven’t been able to work because our baby depends on his mother for milk, and we haven’t been able to wean him yet. With four other kids at home, no income, and mounting bills, this disease is threatening to break us.
Alisha has been fighting for her life, while raising four children including a newborn. She hasn’t slept, can barely eat, has been a prisoner to our home and to hospital rooms since she can’t travel more than ten minutes at a time. The hospital requires that I am present to help care for the baby, and also so they aren’t liable for him if she were to pass away. With her disease progressing so fast and the reality of the situation really hitting us, we realize that we need some help. We can’t do this on our own anymore and we just pray that we make it through this physically, mentally, spiritually and financially. Thank you for reading Alisha’s story.
The funds from this fundraiser will help us cover our children’s needs—food, clothing, care, and activities—while we’re in the hospital. They’ll help pay our utility and phone bills, vehicle expenses, and Alisha’s aftercare, medications, and special foods for recovery. We also need help with baby supplies like diapers and wipes. I’ve always worked hard and never asked for help, but we are out of options. Anything you can give will help us keep our home, feed our kids, and support Alisha’s recovery. Please help us get through this so mama can heal and I can care for our children.