Hi, my name is Jessica and I’m creating this fundraiser for my sister-in-law Allison (Better known as Alby).

Some friends and family may know that Alby has been battling Valley Fever for the past 2 years. For those who don’t know, Valley Fever is a fungal infection that starts in your lungs. The fungus is found almost exclusively in desert areas like Southern California and Arizona and is stirred up by things like construction, agriculture, fires, and earthquakes. The spores are inhaled and can live in your lungs dormant. It’s rare and can go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed as most people do not experience the severe reaction and symptoms that Alby has dealt with for the last 2 years. She has been through so much during this time with multiple hospital stays and most recently a surgery on her spine which she is currently recovering from.

I’ve attached a link to Alby’s husband Colin’s perspective.  Please give it a read if you have a moment. Colins Story 

Here’s a little bit of Alby’s story.

This all begin 2 years ago when Alby was pregnant with my niece Rylee. She began feeling unwell but was unfortunately dismissed from the ER several times. She was told it was some sort of infection that would run it’s course.

At 22 weeks pregnant, Alby’s illness was finally taken seriously by the doctors and she was taken to the hospital for respiratory failure. Shortly after that she was air lifted to Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles and diagnosed with Valley Fever. By this point it was no longer contained to her lungs and had spread to her brain and spine causing meningitis. This is the most severe scenario possible for Valley Fever (known as Disseminated Coccidioidomycosis once it spreads from your lungs to other tissues.)

Alby spent 3 weeks in the ICU and was hospitalized for about 45 days combined. She was intubated for a time at the beginning of her stay and ended up having an emergency c-section at 27 weeks pregnant. My sweet niece Rylee was born at 1lb 14oz and is now a healthy 2 year old!

There was a time when we didn’t know if we would lose Alby or the baby or both. We are so thankful to God for the miracle of life!

During the last 2 years, Alby has had good days and bad days as she battles this illness. There have been countless hospital visits, MRI’s, procedures, and blood transfusions as well as daily medications to manage pain and this illness.

Alby had surgery to remove an abscess putting pressure on her spine on Saturday, June 26th 2021 and is currently recovering. The surgeon removed most but not all of the abscess so this will need to be treated and monitored moving forward. Next up is a potential brain surgery to put a shunt in her brain. This will relieve pressure and fluid that is currently on her brain.

Everything that has happened in the last 2 years has caused medical bills that continue to mount up as Alby continues to receive treatment and takes daily medication. Alby has been unable to return to work since becoming ill and this has tremendously effected her daily life. She will continue to battle this illness for the rest of her life.

If you feel led to give, your support for Colin and Alby will go directly to help pay their current medical bills.

Thank you for taking the time to read Alby’s story!