Support Jeannine Sykes in Her Fight to live.

Jeannine Sykes has shown incredible strength and resilience throughout a harrowing medical journey. After successfully battling breast cancer, Jeannine faced an unexpected and severe setback. She developed a life-threatening bacterial infection that led to septic shock, causing significant damage to her heart, particularly her mitral valve, as well as her kidneys and lungs. Now, after surviving both cancer and sepsis, Jeannine urgently needs heart surgery to repair her mitral valve.

Throughout this challenging time, her husband Walt has been a steadfast support, standing by her side every step of the way. Despite the demands of his job, Walt has continued to work tirelessly to provide for their family and support Jeannine. However, the financial strain has been immense. No matter how great the medical insurance, there comes a point when the insurance companies inform you that you’ve reached your limit. This means that further treatments, which are essential for Jeannine’s recovery, must be paid out of pocket. On top of this, the already large debt from co-pays and other expenses continues to grow.

Jeannine’s medical journey has been incredibly challenging. It began with a cancer lumpectomy surgery on September 10. Throughout October and November, she faced various testing and follow-ups, which led to complications. On November 28, Jeannine experienced weakness and blue lips, resulting in an emergency room visit. The next day, she was admitted to the Swedish Issaquah ICU, where she stayed until January 3. During this time, she was diagnosed with a bacterial infection that put her in septic shock, severely damaging her heart’s mitral valve, kidneys, and lungs. She was on a ventilator, dialysis machine, and had a tracheotomy. For about two weeks, she was under paralysis medicine and began to wake up around December 20, gradually recovering from the bacterial infection by Christmas. Unfortunately, this infection delayed her second cancer surgery, and she now needs surgery to repair her mitral valve.

From January 3 to April 11, Jeannine stayed at Kindred Hospital in Seattle, a long-term care facility. She fully recovered from the bacterial infection and began working on her physical recovery. However, due to insufficient physical therapy, she faced further issues with her physical recovery.

Since April 11, Jeannine has been at Avamere in Shoreline, a skilled nursing facility, continuing her recovery. She has now exceeded the time that insurance pays for this kind of stay. Being mostly in bed for this extended period has been extremely detrimental to her physical health and recovery. She still has a long recovery ahead for her physical abilities like walking and standing.

Jeannine still needs to complete her breast cancer surgery and repair her mitral valve. Your support is crucial in helping Jeannine and Walt through this difficult time. Your generous support will make a tremendous difference in covering the costs of her treatment and easing the financial burden they face. Together, we can help Jeannine and Walt focus on what truly matters—her recovery and well-being. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.