A Second Chance for Mom

Meet our mom, Mary Jane Granados.

Our mom is everybody’s mom. In fact, our relatives and friends call her “Mommy Jane.” She is one sweet, caring, prayerful and innocent soul. Even the little things give her so much joy and that joy radiates through the people around her wherever she may be. There is so much love in her that a day missed without having to say her daily “Good morning” in social media would already cause people to look for her or miss her. That is how lovable our mom is.

Just last July 16, 2018, when we brought mom to the hospital for a check-up, our family experienced something devastating. Our mom suffered a stroke.

After going through emergency procedures, she was given a Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator (rTPA) drug in the hopes of reversing the stroke. She was intubated because her breathing was very heavy and done abdominally, with episodes of apnea (or temporarily stops breathing). Different IV lines were also inserted to her. She was almost non-responsive, lethargic, and weak, with multiple blank stares. It looked like we were losing her. A day after, it seemed like she was able to recover, thanks to the rTPA drug, which the doctors said, works like a miracle drug because it dissolves the blood clot of stroke patients as long as it is given within 4 hours of the stroke. Mom looked responsive and she was able to move her arms and legs already. She would even try to converse with us even if there was no sound coming out because she was on the ventilator. She was smiling, waving and was looking good. But unexpectedly, things didn’t go as planned. We and the doctors thought she was already getting better because they started to wean her off of the ventilator… until unexpected complications arose. She didn’t have any urine output, so she had to have a dialysis catheter inserted in her jugular vein. Unfortunately, it got dislodged after 2 days. So the doctors had to re-insert another dialysis access, but she had to undergo an emergency O.R. procedure, which was a partial sternotomy, where they had to partially open her chest to repair the damage to the artery that was punctured during the re-insertion of the other catheter. Then her conditions just got even worse especially because of her non-working kidneys. Additionally, another complication arose. Mom developed DIC (Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy) - meaning she had clotting and bleeding at the same time. Doctors suggested the replacement of blood loss until the bleeding stops and the clotting factors are normal again. As of this writing, she has already received 41 bags of blood and blood products (fresh frozen plasma, packed red blood cells, etc.). She is also undergoing continuous dialysis to expel the fluids and toxins that she cannot excrete due to her non-functioning kidneys. To add to this, her breathing and heart rate are still very unstable. Days have gone by and they had to change her dialysis access site a few more times because they were not working well, and she now has it in her femoral or thigh area. Everything is just absolutely traumatic to watch and agonizing to think of her having to experience all this. Our mom doesn't deserve this.

At this moment, mom is fighting hard. And so are we. Though it is so painful and difficult for us to see her go through this much in just a short span of time, knowing her gentle, carefree, and happy personality, we just try to stay positive and we keep encouraging her to get well with every chance we get. We keep reminding ourselves to be strong for her and we never show her any signs that our hearts are also weeping. We don’t even know if she can remember all this, but we just give our everything to her every single day.

Moreover, we don't normally do this, but we are also reaching out to you if you could extend any financial help. Mom is still in the ACSU (Acute Stroke Unit) and still in a very fragile state. She has been on 2 continuous renal replacement therapies, which are in itself at least $2,500 each. This does not yet include other expenses like her continuous dialysis, blood transfusions (as needed), medications, doctors’ professional fees (she has 6 doctors that include a cardiologist, a hematologist, a neurologist, a surgeon, a nephrologist, and a pulmonologist), and our total hospital bill which is already way too high for us to take care ourselves as of today. We can give her another chance to share her joy if she lives, but we have already exhausted all our finances and we are desperate. We are still hopeful that she will go back home, but we will also be needing funding for her medications, follow-up check-ups, outpatient dialysis sessions, and other possible therapies. We would appreciate any and all help we can get as we face, by far, the greatest challenge of our lives.

It is so heartbreaking and painful for us and our family right now, but we are never giving up on the thought that she will still have a second chance to live when she fully recovers and one day share all the love that is overflowing in her. The world needs someone like our mom. And the world also needs people like you who can help.

I am from Texas, but all these happened in the Philippines where my Family lives.

Your prayers, emotional and financial aid will be greatly appreciated at this moment. Thank you and God bless you!



Thank you and all the best to you.

The Granados family