Christmas 2022. Covid-19. A bit of a breeze really, similar to having a cold. Considered myself the proverbial tough guy, tested negative by the end of the year. Middle of January 2023, something, clearly, was NOT right. Intense lower back pain, a metallic taste in my mouth and gut that wouldn’t go away and fatigue on a previously unknown basis. Got worse, daily. Dry retching every night, a cough that really felt as if it was to die for. Beginning of Feb 2023. Collapsed at the foot of my mother’s stairs. She said she was calling an ambulance, I said, ... Read Full Story

In 2016, what began as a case of the flu and strep throat quickly turned life-threatening when the strep bacteria entered my bloodstream, triggering sepsis. I went into septic shock, and my organs began to fail. I spent a week in the hospital fighting for my life — a battle I’m incredibly grateful to have won. (Sepsis and Influenza, Sepsis and Strep Throat) Today, I’m fortunate to stand here as a healthy young woman, but my experience with sepsis has left a lasting impact. It has not only marked my past but also shaped my future. As Miss Route 66, ... Read Full Story

I had felt sick for several months, on and off. I ached all over, felt warm and had profusely sweating day and night. I was dizzy and became confused when I had to do something, like counting. I went to the doctor several times and was told it was a virus. They said it just had to work itself out. So I would drink a lot of fluids, get a lot of sleep and feel better for a while. Days turned into weeks and months. I was not well. I always wanted to lay on our leather couch because it ... Read Full Story

My mother passed away on April 30th, 2024 after 48-hour battle in the hospital with sepsis. My mother started complaining of abdominal pain on April 27th in the afternoon after we went out to lunch. Shortly after we returned home from running errands and grabbing lunch at Kerby’s Coney Island, my mother started vomiting on and off until later in the evening. Initially, she thought, she may have gotten food poisoning. Shortly after midnight on April 28th, my mother passed out getting up to go to the bathroom. She was extremely pale and had no strength to get up. I ... Read Full Story

My dad was my best friend in the world. He was the kindest person I have ever known, a true definition of an angel on earth. He developed sepsis as a result of aspiration pneumonia, due to his Parkinson’s, and within three short weeks to the day, he passed away. (Sepsis and Parkinson’s Disease, Sepsis and Pneumonia) The medical teams did a wonderful job doing all that they could, and my dad fought hard. He gave his family the best life imaginable, as a result of his love, hard work, and how he raised his daughters. Although our world will ... Read Full Story