感人的故事

"Amy, a 27 year old Mother of two, went to work as she did everyday. Working as a personal assistant in Santa Ana for a promotional company, she was use to wearing many hats. As her day went on Amy started to develop some pains in her lower stomach. These were excruciating. Not mentioning anything to anyone, her boss came to her to let her know that she could go home early as there wasn’t anything else for her to tackle that day.

As Amy got in the car and headed down the freeway, her pain began to increase. It was completely unbearable after driving for only 20 minutes. Amy phoned her husband to let him know that she was taking herself to urgent care. During that time a urine sample was taken.

Shortly after the sample was recovered and tested a doctor then came into the room and said she tested positive for a kidney stone. Due to a history of having these in the past, Amy was well aware of the unbearable pain that kidney stones can cause. The doctor gave her some pain medication and sent her on her way.

Wednesday February 25, 2015 was an absolute blur as Amy does not remember any detail. Ryan, her husband of 9 years, walked into their home from work to a complete disaster. Amy was totally out of it on the couch still in pain. Around midnight, Amy got up to use the restroom and it was almost impossible for her to hold up her own body weight. She could not get up without support.

By Thursday, Amy had to call into work sick. She tried to accomplish her daily chores and had to immediately sit down because she could not stop shaking. As she looked down at her feet she noticed her toes were turning blue. Then back up to her hands, where the tips of her fingers were changing colors as well. Ryan had already left for work so Amy contacted her mother to take her to the hospital. 

Her Nana watched the kids and together Amy and her mother drove to the emergency room in Wildomar. California. Praying it would be empty Amy’s Mother grabbed a wheelchair and was seen right away. Amy’s Mother began to tell the nurse her symptoms. Amy's lips were now turning blue and she could not speak. The nurse then pulled back the curtain to enter the ER and yelled "You need to take her back right away... she's going into septic shock!" 

Amy remembers that her Mother called Ryan to inform him of how serious the situation was. After that call, it all went black. 

The following day, the Doctors told Ryan the outcome of the situation and how negative it was. They said, “Ryan it does not look good. Her entire body has gone into septic shock due to the kidney stone being far too big to pass. At this rate your wife Amy has a 10% chance of surviving. We will do all we can to save her however, this does not look promising.” Ryan completely devastated and in total disbelief wept in the hallway of the hospital. 

Sweet Amy was in a medically induced coma on life support.
Ryan was not going to allow his wife to die. Praying for a full recovery, his goal was to have her relocated to another hospital as soon as she was stable. This would then allow her the opportunity to get the proper care to overcome this disaster. Gratefully, that day came.

Amy’s vital organs were healing and she was transferred to a hospital in Riverside County. Days later Amy was removed from life support and was awake. Ryan had the difficult duty of telling his wife what had all transpired and due to the Sepsis, there was a huge possibility her legs would need to be amputated. 

March 11, 2015. Amputation. It needed to happen and when it did, it was as if the world stopped. It was a day that will forever be imprinted on Amy and Ryan’s minds. The young Mother had both of her legs amputated below the knee around mid calf.

Amy was in utter disbelief but even though at this time of shock, Amy was grateful because she knew her life was in God’s hands and was happy to be alive. She admits that in that moment, life felt impossible but she says that she serves a bigger God that will use her trials for a greater good. Many questions have still gone unanswered but Amy is hopeful and blessed to be alive. 

On March 21, 2015 Amy was transferred to a rehab where she spent the next ten days. Ryan said that this rehab was so incredibly helpful. They provided her with the tools to help her adjust to her new life. The goal is to enable her to function to her fullest potential.

When the "dry" gangrene spread to her feet it also spread to her hands. Over the next 2-3 months all 10 of her fingers will need to be removed. The plastic surgeons are holding off on surgery now hoping that the palm of her hand will miraculously be healed.

They are praying her palm will be saved and only the fingers will need to be removed. This will then provide Amy will more avenues to prosthetics and a better use of her potential hand in the future. 

Amy was released and welcomed home on her son Liam’s 4th birthday. It was an incredible reunion and she is so happy to, finally, be home. Although life is different and they are all learning to adjust, Amy says 'life is going to be ok' but she does miss the little things.

She misses brushing her hair, chasing her babies, touching their faces with her hands, doing her own makeup, being able to comfort her children and taking care of her husband. 

This is such a new journey that no one could ever prepare for and Ryan told me that he is doing his best to keep his mind busy. At first, anger was his only emotion. He was so incredibly angry and confused. Why Amy? Why his wife and the mother of his children?

Ryan believes often times he can be selfish and this has presented him with a lifestyle change which has humbled him immensely. He now has an opportunity to help his family in ways he had never imagined. He is now Amy's hands and her feet. 'Sure, this is extremely overwhelming but honestly I love my wife more today then I did when we said I do.’

I remember that she used to ask me to rub her feet all the time, and because I was so tired from working I would tell her no or come up with some excuse as to why I couldn’t. Now, as I sit here looking at her, there is nothing I wouldn’t give to have the opportunity to rub her feet again. To go for a walk with her or to just simply hold her hand. God is holding us together as a couple and I will do everything I can to help her feel like her old self again.”

Photo courtesy of Love Song Events & Photography Inc.