We did it! Thank you!

January 17th, 2011

Good evening everyone - I'm sorry this update is a couple of days late.

I want to thank each and everyone one of you for your donations, prayers and love for Katie. I'm amazed at the amount of money that has been raised, and even though 7% of the total here goes to Give Forward dot com (well worth it!), many people have also sent checks and we far surpassed the goal of $10,000.

Katie continues to do exceptionally well, though she still encounters setbacks here and there. She has the full support of her doctors and nurses, as well as her friends and family. Please make sure to keep up with her progress at her Caring Bridge site, http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/katieroyer.

Thank you again, everyone, for your generosity. I could not have done this without your help. If you have any questions, concerns, or would just like to keep in touch, you may find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/narnar) or you may email me at nawilloughby@gmail.com.

May the New Year and the years to come bring you all the joy and happiness in the world.

Always,
Natalie Willoughby

Updates

January 7th, 2011

Good morning, everyone - Katie is now back home in Albuquerque, NM. Here is the latest update from the Royer Family:

Dorothy had it right, there is NO PLACE LIKE HOME!  We are so thankful to be here!
Kates has developed a bit of a complication, a fistula; it is an abnormal connection or passageway between two organs or vessels that normally do not connect.  Hopefully this can be treated medically and not surgically. We were at the doctor's office within 2 hours of arriving home and she is on medication, going for blood work this morning.  We still depend on your prayers.

Thank you again for all your kindness, generosity and prayers on Katie's behalf. We have exceeded our goal and we are now up to $10,430! There is still time to donate if you know someone who has expressed interest. Every little bit helps, and no donation is too small.

Always,
Natalie Willoughby

Happy New Year!

January 3rd, 2011

Welcome to 2011, everyone! Today, Katie visits her doctor - lets hope she gets clearance to come home! She read her CaringBridge guestbook, and words are still sometimes confused, but when she is feeling fine and not tired, she is pretty much herself. Let's hope and pray for a happy and healthy year for all of us!

Always,
Natalie Willoughby

WE HAVE REACHED OUR GOAL!

December 27th, 2010

Thank you all so much. In just over a month, we have raised $10,000 for Katie and her family. This is truly a wonderful start to the new year, and hopefully a new and better life for Katie. If you have friends or family who still want to donate, there is still time! The fundraiser closes on January 14th, and GiveForward will continue to take donations until then. Thank you so much for your love, prayers and generosity. 

A wonderful Christmas gift

December 26th, 2010

Good afternoon! I hope everyone had a joyous and relaxing Christmas.

I have lots of good news. First, as of this morning, we were at 99% of our goal! In just the short time that this fundraiser has been open, we have nearly achieved our original goal of $10,000. Right now, we stand at $9,885. What a wonderful gift for the Royer family!

GiveForward.com automatically closes fundraisers either when the goal is reached, or the allotted time for the fundraiser has passed. Many people have expressed to me that they were waiting until after Christmas to donate, and I want them to have a chance to do so. Therefore, I have extended the fundraising deadline to January 14, 2011 rather than December 31. I don't want to extend the deadline any further out than January 14, because the Royers' will most likely need the money sooner rather than later once Katie comes home. So, if you or someone you know have expressed their desire to donate, please know it must be done by January 14, 2011.

I also have good news from Katie's mother, Beth Royer:

Merry Christmas! Our Christmas day was quiet but nice. When Katie woke up she found that Santa had left a stocking on her IV pole! She had a big breakfast and 2 long walks down the hall. Dr. Rubin brought us chocolate so we were very happy. I was able to attend Christmas Day Mass in the hospital chapel. We watched DVDs and the on and off snowfall outside. Maggie and her family came for a visit which was lovely. There were lots of phone calls from all over the country. Katie’s standing blood pressure is still low but not quite as low or often as before. Tomorrow, Katie will have an EMG test which traces electrical activity in the muscles which apparently can affect her blood pressure - (Allyson and Bridget get on the case!)http://www.emedicinehealth.com/electromyography_emg/article_em.htm
Depending on the outcome of this test, it is possible she will be discharged!
We still need and appreciate your prayers for her recovery.

We send our love and thanks,
~The Royers

Again, thank you all for your generosity and prayers on Katie's behalf. I am personally overwhelmed by the outpouring of kindness all of you have shown over the last few weeks. I will continue to keep you updated on Katie's progress.

Love to you all,
Natalie Willoughby

So close to our goal!

December 23rd, 2010

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

We are so close to our goal now. Only just over $1000 left! Thank you everyone for your continued prayers and support. Here is an update from the Royer family:

A big day today! Late this afternoon Katie was moved from the ICU to a regular room. While this was a goal we were looking forward to, it’s a little bit scary (for Mom mostly) because the constant monitoring and reassuring nursing attention that we enjoyed in the ICU is not possible on a regular floor. Surely a good sign that the doctors believe Katie is ready for this move.

Paul and Allyson returned to Albuquerque this morning and we already miss them but know that it will not be too long until we are there also. The doctors think it is more prudent for Katie to travel by car rather than fly so we will plan a leisurely road trip home. We are not sure of the timing yet as there are questions about follow up appointments and rehab.

In this beautiful season when we celebrate the birth of Love we are especially mindful of your love and goodness to us and assure you of our grateful prayers for you and yours. May the best gift of Christmas, His peace, be yours.

Please continue your prayers for our Katie.

Love
~The Royers

I wish nothing but the best for all of you and your families this Christmas. Stay safe, stay warm, and God Bless Us, Everyone! (especially Katie!)

Newest News

December 22nd, 2010

Good afternoon, everyone - here is an update from the Royer family:

Each hour holds some improvement for Katie. Today her speech was markedly improved; clearer even though some times the words were a bit jumbled - "Mom would you give me my see glasses."

She is much more engaged in her environment which can be a blessing and a curse because she knows enough to be upset with the realization of what has happened to her, however she is asking intelligent questions about what her treatment will be and how it will proceed. The strength is returning to her right side, and her vision is perfect (with glasses).

Today the surgical drain was removed; Katie had an echocardiogram to assure there are no heart abnormalities (none apparent) and a MRI was preformed this evening which hopefully will be evaluated tonight and the results shared with us tomorrow. She continues on the low residue diet. The nurses in the ICU unit are skilled, concerned and compassionate.

The teams of doctors (gastroenterlogy; neurology; surgical; rheumatology) are all working together to decide the best course of action for Katie’s recovery and to ensure this does not happen again.

Allyson and Paul will leave on Thursday and hopefully Katie and I will have a little Christmas soon outside of the hospital.

Having Katie’s friend Ariana (Vasquez) and Amanda Fila with us during this crisis was a great blessing; they could not have been kinder or more willing to help. When Allyson arrived on Sunday morning with her medical knowledge and take charge attitude we were further reassured. The out pouring of love and prayers from all of you continue to be our source of faith, comfort and encouragement. Thank you dear family and friends.

Katie is a vibrant, beautiful young woman with a will of iron and a sharp intellect. She will overcome this obstacle and move on to the healthy life that the surgery promised her. We depend on your prayers.

Love~The Royers

Update

December 20th, 2010

Good afternoon, everyone,

Some information about Katie has come down the pipeline. Katie's angiogram showed that she has vasculitis of the brain. Vasculitis is an inflamation of blood vessels, and can be reversed. It is usually treated with inflamation reducing drugs. Prayers are needed for quick results from treatment and for no further bleeds. The good news is, she was eating toast and eggs today. The Caring Bridge site will be updated as soon as the family knows more, and I will pass along any information I receive.

Thanks for your continued love and support,
Natalie

Update

December 19th, 2010

Hello again, everyone - I have the full story about Katie's complication and an update from Katie's mom, Beth Royer:

Yesterday can only be described as terrifying. Katie had what was initially described to us as a brain bleed which is in effect a stroke. She was rushed to the Neurological Intensive Care Unit where a CT scan was ordered and revealed a significant bleed in her brain. The greatest concern was that this bleed not "expand".

Katie displayed weakness on her right side and a drooping smile but most apparent and disturbing was her "babbling" speech and inability to answer the most basic of questions. Her condition was listed as critical.

A night of fear that we never want to repeat brought us to a morning of hope and promise. Throughout the day, Katie grew stronger, improved her recognition and was increasingly able to correctly answer questions while her bright intellect and sharp wit became more and more apparent.

God is good! We have the preliminary results of the 3rd comparative CT scan which shows no expansion of the bleed and perhaps some shrinkage which is what the docs are hoping for.

We continue to rely on your prayers to see Kates through this latest challenge.

Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers for Katie.

Always,
Natalie Willoughby

Complications

December 18th, 2010

Katie has had a complication. The doctors say she has a brain bleed. It is positive that she is awake and talking. However, she is somewhat confused. She is in the neurology ICU and the next hours and days are important. We will update when there is more information. Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

-The Royer Family

Surgery Update

December 16th, 2010

Good afternoon, everyone!

Katie's surgery on Tuesday went as well as we could have hoped. It was a long one (about 8 hours!), but the good news is she will NOT need a second surgery! She has a long road to recovery, but the doctors and nurses say she is making great progress, and that she is just amazing! Thank you for all your help and prayers. I will keep you updated on her progress.

Always,
Natalie Willoughby

Surgery is here

December 14th, 2010

Hello again everyone,

As I'm sure you know, Katie went in for surgery this morning. So far things are going well, and she is doing just fine. I will be sure to keep you updated on her status and progress. Please keep Katie and her family in your thoughts and prayers today, and in the coming weeks. Also, please be sure to visit Katie's Caring Bridge site at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/katieroyer and write your well-wishes in the guestbook. Thank you!

Always,
Natalie Willoughby

GiveForward is featuring Katie on their homepage!

December 7th, 2010

From Erica Trzeciak, Director of User Relations at GiveForward.com: "I just wanted to let you know the good news!  We're so impressed with how great your page is doing that we're featuring Katie's fundraiser on our homepage along with some other really wonderful stories.  I'm glad to see you're really using the internet to your advantage with her page- especially with Caring Bridge! So anyway, being featured is an awesome achievement that you definitely want to share with ALL your friends and family (especially facebook (: ).  What could be better than bragging that out of almost 1000 projects on the site, you're part of the elite few that we are choosing to be the face of GiveForward!"

This is a wonderful surprise to me, and a great honor as well. Katie deserves nothing less! I'd like to take this opportunity to again thank each of you for your support and love. This would not have happened without your contributions and dedication to help Katie, as well as your help in getting the word out to your own friends and family.

We are almost at 100%! Katie's surgery is set for December 14th. The money we have raised so far will help her greatly, as well as help to take some of the stress away, which in turn will help her with the difficult mental and physical recovery that goes along with such a life-changing surgery. Please continue to pass on this website so we can reach 100%. The deadline is December 31st, but I'd like to be able to tell Katie on Christmas Day that we have reached our goal.

Much love to all of you,
Natalie

Amazing!

December 1st, 2010

We are now past the halfway point for our fundraising goal! So far we have raised $5425 in just TWO WEEKS! She has two more weeks to go before the surgery, so please continue to spread the word, and keep Katie in your thoughts and prayers during this holiday season. Thank you for your generosity!

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 25th, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for your generosity and love! I wish you and yours nothing but the best this holiday season. Please continue to keep Katie in your thoughts and prayers!

WOW!

November 19th, 2010

Since the GiveForward fundraiser site was created for Katie, we have raised over $2600! Thank you everyone for your generosity and for spreading the word to your friends and family.

We do have great news! After weeks of phone calls and shuffling/counting of employment dates, Katie will qualify for the Family Medical Leave Act! That means she gets to keep her insurance without having to have COBRA, and she will have job protection. However, she will not be receiving a paycheck and will continue to have to pay for her insurance. The surgery will also be "out of network", meaning it will cost her a lot more out of pocket than if she were able to have the surgery here in NM. So keep that generosity flowing, and thank you all for all your kind words and prayers.

Always,
Natalie Willoughby