Hi y'all. My name is Secret and I am raising money for my big sister, Auburn, who has been struggling with severe health issues this year.

(First Pic: Auburn's Headshot, taken around Christmas Time. Second Pic: Auburn, less than a month later, in her hospital bed.)

Between January 1to January 15, Auburn went to three different emergency rooms in and around Wichita, Kansas looking for answers after feeling pain in her legs and feeling very ill. The first diagnosed her with the flu, the second with gallstones and the third with a sprained ankle. Then, on Thursday, January 15, Auburn was taken to the hospital after waking up to excruciating pain in her legs where they discovered a big blood clot in her foot alongside a bunch of smaller blood clots throughout the 3 main arteries in her foot. Over the next week, she underwent multiple procedures and was given high doses of blood thinners to get the clot breaking down.

(Side-by-side of Auburn's feet, showing the different in coloration and where they've been working on the problem foot)

Since then, she has regained enough blood flow in her foot that it is still somewhat functional, but the issue is getting worse each day as her body continues producing a lot of blood clots despite the procedures and high doses of blood thinners. She is also on high doses of painkillers because of the damage in her foot from the original clot, leading to both limited ability and constant grogginess from the meds, making it difficult for her to function in her everyday life.

(Picture of Auburn being visited by two of her daughters in the middle of her hospital stay.)

Because her body is still building so many clots, the doctors believe she may have a rare blood disorder, leading her and her family to uproot their lives for an undetermined amount of time to travel to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota so that she can see specialists and get the care she both needs and deserves. Without this trip, Auburn won’t get the care and treatment she desperately needs and could potentially even lose her foot.

Between the travel, lodging and food costs for this trip, the nearly two-week-long stay at the hospital in Wichita, and the high cost of medication, Auburn and her family can really use some help while she is unable to work and her husband is having to work remotely while managing my sister’s condition and their six children. Had this issue been caught sooner, Auburn would likely not be in the position she is in now where she needs specialists and much more support. We are very lucky it was caught when it was, though, otherwise she might not be with us today.

This is where my family appeals to you, whether you are a friend, acquaintance, or otherwise, to help in our time of need. Even the smallest donation can help make sure Auburn is able to receive the care she needs and that her family is taken care of while she is recovering from this life-threatening health condition.

(Auburn and her family at Christmas time)