I wanted to start this GoFundMe for my sister because she has had extensive emergent medical issues. In Nov 2024, she had surgery for a hernia, which was supposed to be a standard procedure but turned into a nightmare for her. Initially, she was told the surgery was a success, but shortly after, she began experiencing complications. In Jan 2025, she had severe stomach pain and was taken by ambulance to the emergency room. She was examined but dismissed and told it was a pulled muscle and anxiety/stress. She was sent home with a prescription for a steroid. She called my mom and me all weekend, crying in pain and saying it hurt so bad that she couldn't even lie down, and it hurt to breathe. After 3 days, she couldn't take the pain any longer, so a neighbor took her to a walk-in urgent care clinic for her "pulled muscle," as she had been told. The clinic immediately called an ambulance to get her to the hospital. What the hospital discovered was that her stomach had ruptured, her lung was collapsed, and she was in septic shock. The hospital had to insert a chest tube, and 5 liters of fluid were pulled from her lung. My mom received a phone call from the ICU and was told that my sister may die and that she needed to get there asap. Because of how medically complex I am, my mom could not leave me behind, so she packed up all my medical supplies and took my teenage sister and me with her out of state to get to my big sister. Katie had emergency surgery on her stomach, which was followed by two additional surgeries on her lung. After a lengthy ICU stay, she was discharged to come home with us for recovery. She was able to return to work two and a half months after the initial ER visit.

Unfortunately, genetics played into why she needed the first surgery, the organ rupture, and poor healing after surgeries. She has insurance but still has significant medical bills from so many surgeries, ambulance rides, and ICU stays. She has always been there for me with all my medical issues and starting this GoFundMe to help relieve some of her financial stress is something I can do for her.

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to read this. Katelyn has been struggling physically with the effects and complications of her health issues, and she desperately needs assistance with the financial burden. Unfortunately, this past week, Katelyn endured an incredibly invasive operation due to how severe her GI issues are, to help receive proper nutrition, as she can no longer sustain herself with these complications. To be able to get better, she unfortunately has to undergo more surgeries, which will only further the financial burden on her. Any help would be greatly appreciated, so Katelyn can get relief from both past, current, and upcoming medical bills.