Bring Katelynn Ortiz Home

On Friday,  August 29, 2014  at approximately 10:46 am, our beloved 16 year old Katelynn Ortiz was involved in a head-on collison with a semi truck  on her way to school.  44 days after receiving her drivers license, this accident left her with near fatal injuries.  Katelynn was air lifted to the trauma center at Good Samaratian Hospital in Downers Grove where she underwent a 4 hour surgery to save her life. This would be the first of 13 surgeries. The extent of her injuries included a severe traumatic brain injury affecting a wide spread area of her brain, including bleeding and bruising of her brain.  She suffered severe abdominal trauma; lacerated kidneys, shattered liver and her spleen was completely destroyed.  She sustained multiple fractures consisting of two broken arms, a broken pelvis, compound fractures of the left femur and tibia and a shattered knee cap.To say the least, the doctors did not think she was going to make it.  One of her surgeons exact words to her parents was "Your daughter is in that OR fighting for her life".  Nothing any parent ever wants to hear.

Following the life saving surgery that stopped her abdominal bleeding, removed a large blood clot from her brain and a partial skull removal to accomodate swelling and to stabilize her broken bones,  she would spend the next 2 weeks in ICU on a ventilator and in a coma.  She was then transferred to a rehabilitation center where they specialized in ventilator weaning.  She spent 2 weeks there in an ICU setting.  They were successful in getting her off the ventilator, but while there, she suffered a setback.  She developed severe hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain). She was then transferred to Luries Children's Hospital in Chicago where she had 3 additional brain surgeries to drain the fluid and to place a permanent drain (shunt) in her brain. She spent 2 weeks in ICU at Luries and an additional 2 weeks in a regular inpatient floor before transferring to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, where she currently is.

During this whole process, news from doctors remained very grave.  Although doctors told us Katelynn would not make it, or she would never live an independent life, the family and RIC continued to stay positive and steadfast.    We got our miracle that she survived.  Now we await our second miracle that her brain will heal and she will regain function.   Katelynn cannot walk, talk or eat on her own. Katelynn can not give us a 'thumbs up' or move her limbs on command.  She is in a minimally conscious state.  At RIC we are hopeful that as they continue to lower doses of the medicine she is on, she will be more responsive and begin to have more control over her body.  She has intense therapy daily. Her therapy consists of speech, physical and occupational therapy.  She receives music therapy and even animal therapy. A dog comes to visit her! Katelynn is making some progress.  But given the extent of her brain injury, she has a very uncertain future and a long, difficult and costly road to recovery. 

Katelynn is the bravest, most awe inspiring person I have ever witnessed.  Looking back at pictures and memories over the course of her long and unbelievable difficult process, what you notice is not the hospital bed, tubes, bandages and various machines; but her unbelieveable strength and power and love that comes from within this young lady.  And yet, she can't tell us how she feels, or what she feels, or what she sees.  But we know she's in there.  Katelynn spoke her first words last week, MOM!  We all fell into tears of joy at the signs of the beginning of Katelynn's tip toeing toward progress. 

 Katelynn could be home as early as the end of January of 2015, and Katelynn's home still needs handicap modifications and she needs a handicap van for her transportation needs. She will have ongoing therapy and medical needs in Chicago, 1.5 hours away from her home.

Many people in our small community and surrounding communities have come forward to express their concern and ask what they can do to help, with many expressing feelings of helplessness.  The truth is, there is a way people can help and that's by the way of monetary donations.

If you are able to give any amount, no matter how big or small, the good it will do for our beloved Katelynn and her family is immeasurable.   Also, please share this with your friends and family.  

In the coming weeks and months, we will continue to update everyone on Katelynn's status and the progress she will make.  All donations will be used to purchase a wheelchair accessbile van to travel to and from the many rehabilitation sessions required for her recovery, wheelchair ramp for the home and the modifications to her home, specifically the bathroom on the main level of her home for her showering needs.   Anything beyond, will be used to offset medical expenses and ensure the family can remain by her side to facilitate her recovery.  Her mother has taken a leave of absence from work so that she can be by Katelynn's side through her journey.

Thank you, in advance, for your donation, and please continue to pray for our little angel, Katelynn Ortiz and her entire family during this difficult time.
 
Please help our family raise money to bring Katelynn home.