The Joy Campaign: Helping the Mitchell Family

My name is Abigail Mitchell,  I am a 27 year old female from Baton Rouge. I am a wife, Pre-K teacher, sister, daughter, friend, and as of March 2019, a transplant recipient.  On January 9, 2019 I was hospitalized for stage four liver failure.  My entire family and I were completely blindsided by this diagnosis.  The doctors could not give us an explanation as to how I became so sick so quickly, but either way they knew they needed to act fast finding me a new liver.  After a month long stay at Oschner Medical Center in New Orleans I was on the transplant list, waiting.  We were warned it could take as long as 2 months to get a call an organ was ready for me, but just seven days after I was listed I got the call. On March 16, 2019 I entered the OR and emerged 5 hours later with a new liver. The first few months after my transplant were normal, but soon we began to have problems again.  After many more hospital stays and treatments the doctor were able to identify the original problem and my need for a transplant in the first place.  I had biliary cirrhosis, meaning my bile ducts didn't work and my liver was not filtering out the toxins from my body.  With a different approach and a few surgeries everything began to work normally again! I felt like a new person, traveled, got married to the most lovely man Bill, and began teaching again in August of '19, just 6 months after my transplant. 

At the end of October this quickly changed.  One afternoon at work I began to feel ill, and suddenly passed out.  An ambulance was called and I was rushed to the ER.  After some tests the doctors discovered my blood levels were dangerously low and I needed several blood transfusions. I received them and was sent home, only to have the same thing happen while I was getting dressed for work the next day.  I nearly passed out and my mother had to bring me to the ER.  There, we received the same results, dangerously low blood levels.  I was then sent to Oschner New Orleans and was diagnosed with abnormal uterine bleeding. Two weeks later, the doctors felt they had it under control and I was sent home, only to end up back at the hospital for the same problems two weeks later.  Although this time I was in extreme pain and loosing blood ever faster.  I went into shock, my blood pressure became severely low, and I was rushed to the ICU. The doctors explained my pain came from my uterus contracting, stimulating birth, meaning I had been in labor pains for 5 straight days.  Many different procedures and medications later, I was still bleeding and passing major blood clots.  This is the first time the doctors informed me I would most likely need a hysterectomy.  I was told the only reason I did not receive one then and there was because I was too unstable for such a surgery. I was again discharged with the hopes of the bleeding being under control, but sadly this was not the case.

The day after Christmas of 2019 I was at Oschner again for a routine procedure to check on the bile ducts of my liver.  This went very well and I was told my liver looked great, but yet again my blood levels came back dangerously low.  After a few days in the hospital and conferences with many different doctors it was decided that I would indeed need the hysterectomy and as soon as possible. They could not explain how or why this was happening. It could either be from stress placed on the uterus from my failing liver or another autoimmune issue.  Either way, it could not stay.  The doctor explained it was a matter of life and death.

This was completely devastating news for me, my husband, and my entire family. Bill and I have not even been married six months, and part of our future we have dreamed of has been taken away from us. Not only did this news hurt us emotionally, but financially.  Because this happened during the holiday season the doctors were not able to perform the surgery until after the new year, which brings along a new deductible and medical bills. Being that 2019 was such a rollercoaster with the transplant, we are not financially able to bring on another huge medical bill. Being teachers is the most amazing a fulfilling job either of us could ask for, but sadly joy does not pay the bills.

And that is why I am reaching out to you, my family and friends, for help.  I called this the Joy Campaign because that is what you all bring to me.  In the hardest year of my life, all of you kept me seeing the joy of life.  You constantly prayed for me, reached out to me, cooked for me, sent me motivational texts or calls, hugged me, sent us flowers and gifts, we could not possibly be more grateful for your love.  I try and stay as positive as I can throughout this process, and I can only do that because of YOU.  You all make me joyous and appreciative for life. I could have never made it here without.  Now I am asking for a different kind of help.  My surgery will be January 2, 2020, and it would mean the world to me and my husband if you could find it in your hearts to donate to make it possible.  Even the smallest amount will joy to our lives.  It will go straight to helping with our past, present, and future medical bills.

I love you all, even if I do not know you, I love you. I hope my story shows you how even in the darkest times you can always find joy, in friends, in family, in music, art, nature, and in God.