On January 9th, 2025, my sister Ashley drove to the Urgent Care in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, for flu-like symptoms and shortness of breath. Within 5 minutes of seeing a physician, she was transported via ambulance to the Emergency Room at Aurora Medical Center in Oshkosh. She called me to let me know that she was in the hospital with Influenza A and Norovirus and was likely being discharged that day. Admittedly, I thought nothing of it.

Early the next morning on the 10th, I received a call. Around 2 am, Ashley's oxygen levels plummeted, and because she was unable to breathe on her own, they had to put her on a ventilator. Her Influenza had developed into severe Pneumonia, and that, coupled with Norovirus, was too much for her body to manage. Seeing my little sister on life support at just 34 years old was genuinely heartbreaking.

During this time, Ashley's kidneys began failing, and due to her inability to expel fluids, her condition worsened. After a few rounds of dialysis, doctors were able to get her kidneys to (somewhat) function and rid her of her excess fluid, but they were still unable to remove her breathing tube. In addition, she also began experiencing seizures, so in an effort to help her more fully, she was transferred to Aurora Baycare Medical Center in Green Bay. Doctors continued to work on her, and our family continued to visit her around the clock.

Thankfully, on January 22nd, Ashley was able to be extubated. Although she was extremely weak and unable to speak well, she was able to breathe on her own. She was very 'out of it,' but slowly got back to being fully aware of her surroundings. Through sheer will (and her sense of hyper-independence), Ashley was back to walking within a week, and on the 29th, she was able to finally eat solid foods again for the first time in 3 weeks! I immediately got off work and brought her Olive Garden

On February 3rd, Ashley was finally discharged from the hospital, but she has a long way to go. Due to extensive kidney issues, she still requires dialysis 3 times a week and still struggles with strength issues. She's hyper-independent and still able to live on her own, but getting back to work at 100% appears to be a long way off.

My sister works incredibly hard and has been employed since she was 15 years old. She has been incredibly diligent with her money. That said, she just received her ambulance bills, and those alone are $26,000 total. This doesn't even take into account her hospital bills, anesthesia, dialysis appointments, etc. We still have no idea what the full extent of her bills will be from this. While we need to explore resources, I'd like to make sure she doesn't lose everything she's built. She is also dealing with a significant drop in income, and for the first time in her life, she's asking for help.

Your donations will help Ashley stay warm this winter, be fed, and help her get to her dialysis and follow-up appointments. Most importantly, this will give her some room to breathe and hopefully focus her energy on rest and recovery. All donations will go straight to Ashley. Thank you in advance for your consideration!