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Elkhart sponsors
fund-raiser for mom
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[JULY
8, 2003]
Elkhart Christian
Church is sponsoring a benefit for Susan McNeil on Saturday, July
12, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Elkhart Community Park. The event includes a
hog roast dinner, 50-50 drawing and a silent auction of a quarter of
beef from Hanner's Farm, along with many other items. |
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Ms. McNeil, from Elkhart, was
stricken with an unexplained and undiagnosed illness on Jan. 21. The
illness, accompanied by flulike symptoms, caused septic shock to
ravage her system. By the time she got to Abraham Lincoln Memorial
Hospital, she was near death, with a blood pressure reading of
50/25.
The Lincoln hospital stabilized
her and rushed her to the intensive care unit at Decatur Memorial
Hospital. In order to revive her vital organs, the doctors had to
give her medicine to rush the blood to them and bring up her blood
pressure. Essentially, this starved her extremities (hands and feet)
of blood flow, and they began to turn black. She was in the
intensive care unit for eight days battling for her life. Septic
shock is often fatal, but she fought hard and won.
Several months went by as Susan
stayed in the hospital and watched her fingers and toes, hoping for
the best. The doctors had to wait to do any surgery until her health
was better and there was a clear line to show where the damage
stopped. Eventually she underwent surgery to remove most of her
fingers (except one thumb) and all of her toes.
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After three months in the
hospital, she's finally home now but has missed work since January.
She is employed by Contech Construction Products in Springfield as
an order correspondent, typing orders in on a computer. She is
hoping to return to work soon.
She has had to learn how to do
everything over again, from dressing to eating to typing, so she can
return to work. She is a single mother with two teenage kids, a car
payment, mortgage and medical bills beyond belief.
She moved to Elkhart just two
years ago, and the town has opened its arms to her and her family.
It's as if the town is one big family that is there for each other in
times of need. Susan has said she couldn't have moved to a better
community than Elkhart. She would like to thank everyone and
especially the families from Elkhart Christian Church.
For the benefit dinner
on Saturday, tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for kids.
Tickets for both the dinner and drawing can be purchased at the Talk
of The Town in Elkhart or from Sherry Hall, (217) 947-2352.
[News release]
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