On Friday, May 1st, Ciara was admitted to the hospital after bloodwork results indicated an infection. What we first assumed would be a brief hospital stay and a course of IV antibiotics quickly took a turn for the worst. The infection had spread to her heart, causing severe damage to her mitral and aortic valves, and resulting in improper blood flow to her organs. What followed was a blur of information and terrifying phrases such as "septic shock", "multi-organ injury", and "critically ill".

Early Sunday morning she was placed on ECMO, which restored blood flow to her organs, and on Tuesday, May 5th, she underwent a double valve replacement surgery. Surgery was successful and Ciara was taken off of ECMO, but she remained intubated until Thursday, May 7th, with a ventilator helping her breathe.

Amazingly, as of Monday, May 11th, she has made progress we could have only hoped for- off the ventilator, talking, even walking short distances down the halls of the hospital.

As a family, we are optimistic that our Ciara will make a full recovery. However, we know it will be a long road, likely requiring months of rehab and therapy to help her return to life as normal after the immense trauma her body has been through this past week.

If you know Ciara, you know how hard she works to bring joy to people on a daily basis. Working in the beauty industry, making people feel confident in themselves and putting a smile on her clients faces is her priority.

If you know Ciara, you know what it feels like to laugh until your stomach hurts. You know her incredible ability to crack a joke in any situation, and her amazing sense of humor. Her charm and quick wit has helped her form connections with people in all areas of her life. She can make you laugh whether you are 6 months old or 90 years old.

If you know Ciara, you know how much she loves her family and friends- especially her two cats, Mia and Kevin, and her 6 month old nephew, Zack. She always makes time for the people in her life and shows up when she is needed, without question.

Lastly, if you know Ciara, you know how strongly she dislikes this kind of attention on her, and having so many people worry about her. She is fiercely independent and is not one to ask for help. But her family knows she has a long road ahead and that she will need support. If she has ever made an impact in your life, please consider making a contribution to her recovery- whether it is a prayer, a positive thought, or a small donation. All funds raised will go towards supporting Ciara's recovery journey, which may include home health care, physical therapy, and rehab.

Our family is immensely grateful for the outpouring of love and support Ciara has received over the last few days, and we cannot thank everyone enough for your kind words, prayers, and acts of kindness.