Hi everyone,

As a mom, this is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to write. It feels strange to be here, asking for help for my daughter at just twenty-seven years old, but life has a way of humbling us in the moments we least expect it. Mikayla is strong, stubbornly independent, and the type who always insists she can manage things on her own — but this is not something anyone can “power through.” And right now, she needs her community more than ever.

On Tuesday, November 4th, what started as a completely normal workday for her turned into a nightmare. She went from feeling fine to suddenly experiencing a catastrophic internal rupture, made even worse by simultaneously having norovirus. Within minutes, her abdomen filled with blood, and she was rapidly fading.

She lost more than half of her body’s blood. She underwent a 3–4 hour emergency surgery, received two blood transfusions, lost a one and a half reproductive organs, and spent several days in the ICU fighting her way back. By nothing short of a miracle — and the incredible medical team caring for her — she made it through.

She came home to recover, bed-ridden and in immense pain, planning to spend the next few weeks focusing solely on healing both physically and emotionally. Through all of this, she has said over and over that she has never felt so loved or supported. Despite the terror of what she lived through, she’s held onto the blessing of not being alone.

Unfortunately, her battle didn’t end there.

Since her emergency surgery, she has had to be rehospitalized due to complications. She is now home again, but still fighting an active infection. Every day she has to return to the hospital to have her wound drained and her incision repacked. Her doctors are monitoring her white blood cell count, her hemoglobin levels, and waiting for culture results to determine how severe the infection is and how long this phase of treatment will last.

While she is grateful to still have her job, she hasn’t been there long enough for FMLA protections. She cannot work, cannot take care of most tasks independently, and cannot predict when she’ll be strong enough to return. The bills, however — the ones none of us can pause — continue to come.

As her mom, watching her go through this has been heartbreaking. She is trying to hold onto hope, faith, and humor through all of this, but she’s also human. She’s exhausted. She’s hurting. And right now, she needs to focus only on healing without the weight of financial fear pressing down on her.

If you are able to support her — whether through donations, prayers, or simply sharing this — it would mean more than I can express. Every little bit helps lighten the load she’s carrying.

To everyone who has reached out, checked in, visited, prayed, or sent love: thank you. She may not have the strength to respond right now, but she feels every ounce of support. She’s realizing just how big her circle truly is, and how deeply she is loved.

Thank you for helping us lift her up during one of the scariest moments of her life. For direct donations, her venmo is KaylaSteen. We could not walk this road without you.