Support Aliyah Lara's Critical Medical Journey

My sister, Aliyah Lara (22Y), was hospitalized early morning on October 27, 2024. She had awaken at 3A.M., crying uncontrollably with complaints of severe abdominal pain accompanied by vomiting. She was admitted to an ER here in our hometown, only to be diagnosed (with Splenic Cystic Lymphangiomas) and sent home. Because according to the attending physician "no one in the hospitals within our area would know how to treat such a rare diagnosis." They said her spleen was inflamed to the "size of a football" with various tumors and cysts. Her pancreas was also shown to be affected with a large cyst/tumor. Aliyah arrived back home hunched over in pain, crying hysterically for there was no relief. The only brief 30 minute relief for her severe pain was the morphine they given her via an IV in the ER. Frantically worried, our parents drove 2 hours away to a hospital that was said to provide the care she desperately needed. Blood draws, various X-RAYS, an MRI later...Doctors were highly concerned and troubled by her diagnoses, and deemed her condition critical. They stated, "...No doctor should have sent her home." Her inflamed spleen and affected pancreas were pushing and squeezing her stomach to an unnatural position. Serious life-threatening complications could have occurred if not treated. Later in the same week, her attending physicians performed an EGD (endoscopy) and a biopsy. One of the physicians stated the biopsied cyst/tumor was "very mucous-y" and "you should be worried". Results came back from the biopsy and she was diagnosed with a "Solid Pseudopapillary Tumor." A very rare neoplasm tumor that is relatively benign and affects young women. A very high chance they were benign, but was not a definite answer as to if they were. The following Tuesday (November 3rd) she had a splenectomy (removal of her spleen) and 50% of her pancreas surgically removed. We have yet to hear if the tumors were benign. Results pending.

As of today, she is attempting to recover from severe pain and abdominal muscle spasms that resulted from her extensive and invasive surgery. A sudden, unexpected event that has changed her life and our family's lives forever. She is a full-time college student currently enrolled in vigorous college classes. She is close to graduating with a degree in business management. She is, also, a part-time worker at a shoe department retail store, in order to help pay for her college classes and help support our family. Due to being part-time, she does not have medical insurance through her job. Normally, our family wouldn't seek out help because we always tried our hardest to provide for our family. Our mother (a former intubated COVID survivor who was diagnosed with cardiomegaly with a post COVID history of seizures) who works a retail job to help provide for our family by paying bills and buying groceries. She has stopped working at the moment to stay with our sister and be her advocate at the hospital. Our father who worked for many years, but can no longer due to a back related work injury in 2020 that has left him in a fragile state. He has various bulging discs pressing against his spinal cord, causing severe pain and muscle spasms that demands an expensive back surgery. His work compensation checks that helped our family were stopped over a year and half ago. He is currently fighting to have that resolved. My oldest sister, living with her husband and family in the East Coast, continues to send money to help pay for my family's house mortgage every month. I, who is currently working full-time at a retail department store almost every day, to help pay for bills and necessities. My baby sister, a senior in high school, working to pay for herself and help cover some of the family's bills. Our family is very exhausted. We were maintaining prior to this sad event, but now, we are drowning in more bills than ever.

Update: 11/21 - She is now being treated for a blood clot that is clotting her hepatic artery. Her physician is saying she will most likely be on blood thinner medication for the rest of her life.

Update: 12/30 - After a week of being admitted into the hospital after Thanksgiving, Aliyah was released home. Although she was primarily on a liquid diet, she would frequently throw up the liquids along with her prescriptions, which made eating extremely difficult for her. When she wasn't throwing up, she would be in a constant state of not feeling well with abdominal pain. After 3 days of trying what we could do here at home, we decided she needed to return back to the hospital yet again on 12/18/24. After performing more CT scans and an EDG scope in the hospital, doctors discovered that the free roaming fluids was pressing against her stomach. The doctors injected botox to separate the liquid from her stomach paired with a new draining tube. On 12/23/24 Aliyah was released from the hospital in a better condition just in time for the holidays.

Current: In recovery at Home

To summarize just about everything that has happened to my sister, Aliyah, within the past month alone...

•Detected inflamed spleen (that was found to be the size of a football)

•Multiple CT scans, an MRI performed

•An EGD performed on her

•Cysts/tumors found throughout the spleen

•Cysts/tumors on the head of her pancreas

•Splenectomy performed

•Surgical removal of 50% of her pancreas

•Excruciating pain prior to surgery and after

•Unable to eat without having whatever she eats quickly go through her - loss up to approx. 30lbs in weight so far

•Ended up having a blood clot on the artery that goes to her liver

•Started on blood thinners

•Started bleeding internally shortly after

•Recently diagnosed with Hemorrhagic Pancreatitis

•Free fluid found within her abdomen

•Inflamed remaining pancreas - placed on a clear liquid diet and IV fluids

•Found bacteria within the bloodstream

•Initiatied Antibiotic therapy

•On various types of strong pain meds

•Excruciating pain continues...

•A TTE performed the day before yesterday

•Blood transfusion performed yesterday due to a Hgb of 6

We could really use the help. We appreciate everyone who has called, messaged, and prayed over Aliyah and our family. We do not know what the future holds for her or the state of our family. Anything helps us because we are just trying to survive at this point. Thank you for reading her story and helping us. God bless.