First received Wednesday, July 10, 2024
For John M. in Windsor, Ontario, Canada who is scheduled for a cardiac ablation on July 22.
Update Friday, July 26, 2024
The procedure went very well with no issues.
First received Wednesday, March 27, 2024
For Maya in Zurich, Switzerland who has been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
Update Friday, July 26, 2024
Maya made her transition today.
First received Sunday, June 23, 2024
For Angie D. in Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada who will have a liver biopsy on Wednesday and a liver scan the next day...[June 29] The liver scan results were quite good. She is awaiting biopsy results.
Update Friday, July 26, 2024
The liver biopsy and scan were both negative.
First received Friday, July 19, 2024
For Luna S. in San Diego, California who is having a medical crisis.
Update Thursday, July 25, 2024
Luna’s condition has worsened and she is receiving emergency medical care.
First received Sunday, July 14, 2024
For Johan S. in Durango, Colorado who separated his clavicle from his shoulder girdle in a mountain bike accident yesterday, and for his parents who are traveling from Iowa to be with him...[July 17] X-rays show that Johan’s AC and CC ligaments are separated. Surgery is recommended. The surgeon said he can "loop back around" if the family wants to delay surgery. Johan's parents want to have an MRI for a second look. Johan himself is not in pain and wants to wait four weeks.
Update Thursday, July 25, 2024
Johan has elected to postpone surgery and review the situation in several weeks. He is feeling much better physically and emotionally.
First received Friday, June 21, 2024
For Elisabeth D-G. in Gelnhausen, Germany with bronchitis and a severe cough...[June 25] Elizabeth's symptoms have worsened. Her doctor strongly suspects coronavirus although a recent test showed negative....[June 30]
Elisabeth still has severe body aches and a bad cough, and she is very tired.... [July 2] All the coughing has caused a lot of pain in Elisabeth's back and ribs... [July 6] Today Elisabeth is doing better. She is breathing much more easily, after being short of breath for some time, and is coughing less. The pain in her back and ribs is responding to minimal painkillers...[July 9] Today Elisabeth saw an internal specialist who diagnosed a lung infection. It is clear now how to treat her symptoms and she is very relieved...[July 18] Elisabeth's symptoms persist even with the antibiotic treatment.
Update Thursday, July 25, 2024
All her symptoms are improving and she is feeling much better.
First received Wednesday, April 10, 2024
For eighteen-year-old Tamino, a cat in Tampa, Florida with kidney disease...[July 10] Kidney disease is affecting all of Tamino's bodily functions. He recently started on a medication to flush toxins and increase his red blood cell count. A test is scheduled on July 18 to determine if the medication is helping.
Update Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Tamino's red blood cell count was normal. He will continue on his medicine.
First received Monday, July 22, 2024
For Anne S. in Frankfurt, Germany who will have knee replacement surgery tomorrow, and for her recovery process.
Update Wednesday, July 24, 2024
The surgery went well.
First received Wednesday, May 29, 2024
For Leanne P. in Fairhope, Alabama with mobility issues and depression as she waits for foot surgery on June 26...[June 27] The surgery went well. Leanne has some nausea from her medication but little pain. She will see her surgeon on Tuesday for a follow-up.
Update Monday, July 22, 2024
Leanne's mobility is improving. The pain slowly goes away as she works with her physical therapist.
First received Wednesday, July 17, 2024
For Ray B. in Clarksville, Iowa with advanced congestive heart failure, and for his family and friends.
Update Thursday, July 18, 2024
Ray made his transition this morning.
First received Monday, July 1, 2024
For Mike B. in Netley, England with lung cancer which has metastasized, and for his family and friends.
Update Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Mike made his transition yesterday.
First received Tuesday, November 29, 2022
For Laura S. in Parker, Colorado with mobility challenges....[January 10, 2023] Laura has started physical therapy again at home. She has been able to sit up for over ten minutes several times. The pain in her legs and feet prevents her from standing yet. She is taking new medication for the neuropathy and soft tissue damage and for diabetes. Continued support for her standing and walking....[February 21] Laura has progressed to being able to sit at the edge of the bed for twenty-plus minutes several times a week. She is not able to stand yet. She expects to hear Thursday that she will be renewed for another six weeks of PT. Continued support for regaining the strength to stand and walk. She is doing a lot to maintain a positive attitude through this very long recovery...[September 6] Laura is still confined to bed. Her doctor has provided continuous physical therapy. Laura lost core strength for a variety of reasons. She works out in bed consistently and has added weights to her program. A PT comes three days a week to work with her on sitting up, standing, and walking. She is able to sit up with very little help. The neuropathy in her legs is considerable and the pain has subsided a lot. Continued support for Laura recovering her mobility.
Update Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Laura has regained strength through exercising and working with physical therapists. She uses a sit-to-stand assist machine to practice standing. She needs to increase her upper-body strength to be able to sit up by herself. Support also for her husband, caregivers and physical therapy team.
First received Saturday, July 6, 2024
For nineteen-year-old Isaiah A. in Denver, Colorado who is numb from the waist down and has a left broken arm, hip, and pelvis after a car accident.
Update Tuesday, July 16, 2024
The swelling in Isaiah's spine is slowly reducing. His doctors are reluctant to perform any of the surgeries he needs until the swelling has gone. He is taking a lot of pain medication.
First received Monday, May 15, 2023
For Cheryl B. in Nashville, Tennessee with chronic COPD who has increased difficulty with breathing and movement.
Update Sunday, July 14, 2024
Cheryl is on hospice care at home for COPD and congestive heart failure. Support also for her caregiver, Patti, and the nursing team.
First received Monday, May 13, 2024
For Tristan D. in East Providence, Rhode Island who will have bypass surgery on Wednesday, and for his family and medical team....[June 26] Tristan has been readmitted to the hospital to treat fluid in his lungs and a portion of the incision in his chest which has reopened.
Update Sunday, July 14, 2024
Tristan remains hospitalized for ongoing treatment of the wound, which is still not healing. A surgery is scheduled for Monday, at which time a culture will be taken for infection. An additional procedure may be done to improve blood flow to the wound.
First received Wednesday, March 20, 2024
For Nick K. in Louisville, Kentucky with throat pain who will have an upper endoscopy on March 28... [March 29] Everything looked good in the endoscopy. He has been prescribed acid reflux medication for three months...[April 28] Nick still has a sore throat and is tired most of the time. His doctors have not yet found the problem. He will have a CT scan in three weeks...[May 9] Nick’s CT scan shows a four-centimeter growth under his tongue. The results of a biopsy are expected tomorrow or Monday. In any case, he is to have six weeks of radiation...[May 15] Nick does have cancer. He had a PET scan on Monday to check if the cancer has spread. If there is no spread he won’t need chemotherapy, only six weeks of radiation....[May 22] The cancer has possibly spread into two lymph nodes. Nick will need chemotherapy as well as radiation. The good news is that his survival rate is better than 90%...[June 13] Nick is having lengthy chemotherapy sessions weekly followed up with fifteen minutes of radiation daily. He is very tired, has lost weight and has some nausea. Nevertheless the tumor appears to be shrinking.
Update Saturday, July 13, 2024
Nick’s weight has dropped from 240 to 195 pounds and he feels miserable. He cannot swallow much. Even so, the tumor has shrunk by 60 percent and his doctors expect it to be gone by the time they rescan it in fourteen weeks. He finishes chemotherapy on Monday and his last radiation was yesterday. His doctors say the first two weeks after treatment ends are the worst. After that they expect his recovery to be uphill. Nick already has a list of foods he wants to eat when he is able.
First received Tuesday, July 9, 2024
For Simon, an infant in Lexington, Kentucky who was born today and put into neo-natal intensive care, and for his parents, siblings and grandparents.
Update Wednesday, July 10, 2024
Simon made a peaceful transition.
First received Thursday, June 13, 2024
For Kristana W. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with a very rare terminal cancer who has removed herself from chemo and still needs support with mobility, food, the on-going cancer issues and life decisions.
Update Wednesday, July 10, 2024
Kristana made her transition on July 4.
First received Monday, June 17, 2024
For Elizabeth B. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with pain in her lumbar and hip area who will see an orthopedist on Wednesday... [June 24] The orthopedic surgeon recommends cortisone injections.
Update Tuesday, July 9, 2024
There will be no cortisone injections. Instead Elizabeth with do exercises with the assistance of her husband Roland and a therapist.
First received Sunday, July 7, 2024
For Josette in Saint Malo, Brittany, France who has been hospitalized with terminal pancreatic cancer and for her companion, Yves.
Update Tuesday, July 9, 2024
Josette made her transition on July 7, one month after the diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer. Support also for her friends, Yves, Mireille, Lisa, and for her estranged sister.
First received Monday, July 1, 2024
For Sheryl C. in Barrington, Rhode Island with a severe respiratory infection.
Update Friday, July 5, 2024
The doctor prescribed antibiotics for pneumonia, and she is slowly improving.
First received Friday, December 1, 2023
For Margarete K. in Gundelsheim, Germany who will have eye surgery on Monday...[December 7] Margarete's surgery went very well. Today the eye is inflamed and needs antibiotic drops...[December 25] Her sight is diminishing.
She is hoping to get a doctor's appointment in early January...[January 15] Her sight improved again seemingly on its own. She was able to see her doctor on very short notice. There is an additional problem in the retina which
needs a new medication...[February 15] The right eye needs more healing before it can be measured for new glasses...[March 18] Margarete is happy to finally have new glasses. Her right eye has developed gliosis. If it progresses
complicated surgery would be needed...[April 22] The right eye tends to still be inflamed on and off. A laser surgery is scheduled for May 23... [May 26] The right eye is improving slowly. The date for the laser surgery has
shifted to July 3.
Update Thursday, July 4, 2024
The laser surgery went very well and Margarete's recovery has been fast.
First received Saturday, June 29, 2024
For dozens of dolphins stranded off the coast of Cape Cod Massachusetts, and for those involved in rescue efforts.
Update Wednesday, July 3, 2024
The volunteers succeeded in encouraging the dolphins to swim back out to sea.
First received Thursday, May 23, 2024
For Francesca in Locarno, Switzerland who is in her transition process, and for her entire family.
Update Wednesday, July 3, 2024
Francesca made her transition on June 2.
First received Wednesday, June 19, 2024
For Chris H. with a tumor on the left side of his neck which appears to have spread to the lymph nodes, and for his children.
Update Thursday, June 27, 2024
The mass was determined not to be cancer. His lymph gland is being drained. Support is also requsted for his mother, Diane, who is exhausted as she was caring for Chris and his children.