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Posted

Taylor Paige Woods was diagnosed with a very rare disease called Endogenous Lipoid Pneumonia. It is an immune disorder that is basically making her body attack itself. There have only been a handful of people diagnosed with it, all who have been significantly older than Taylor. She is 16 years old and a senior at West Johnston High School. Many of our upperclassmen here at Cleveland know Taylor from freshman year and Cleveland Middle School. Taylor is also the niece of a very proud aunt, Cleveland HS teacher, Joy LaFrance-Phipps.

She donated blood in February through the school’s blood drive and was so excited to be able to help people in need! The following month, she developed a dangerous bacterial infection which ended up in her bloodstream. This caused her body to basically “short-circuit.” She had 2 surgeries on her arm which had a HUGE hole in the exact location the needle went in where she donated blood. She almost lost her arm. Even after her second surgery she was still encouraging people to donate blood to save lives. Articles have been printed in local papers detailing Taylor’s plight and encouraging people to be vigilant about their safety. She has told everyone, “We need blood donors. It saves lives. It was NOT donating blood that made me sick…a mistake made me sick.”

Since March, she has been out of the hospital for a total of MAYBE 6 weeks. She missed half of her junior year. This has been an area of huge stress for Taylor. She is fighting for her life right now at UNC Children’s Hospital in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Her doctors there have consulted physicians around the world and have been unable to successfully treat this horrible disease. She is on her fourth treatment and we are praying that this one works! The doctors have said she has the lungs of an 80 year old. She is on oxygen, has had a chest tube, has fluid around the lungs and heart, has had 3 blood clots, and has undergone a plethora of tests, surgeries, procedures, etc. She begins to “de-sat” (oxygen levels plummet) from simply going to the restroom or changing her clothing. She has been a fighter through all of this.

 

All this from giving blood. Not trying to discourage anyone from that but Red Cross has left this family High and dry and fighting. I owe this brave young lady a ride.

Posted

Penny and I will be praying for all of you Dan, especially your niece, but it sounds like she's a fighter. Good for Her!

 

Hopefully she will have a speedy recovery.

Posted

I will keep your niece in my thoughts and prayers. What a horrible thing to have happened to her, when she was only doing something to help others. May God Bless her.

 

Yama Mama

Posted

Dan is she at Chappel Hill?

Want me to go see her?

I can take her for a ride for you if needed and would do it more than willingly for a family member I think you know that

Mini and I will keep her in our thoughts and prayers

Jeff

Posted

Thanks Jeff but I don't think they will let her do that ride right now. Her defenses are way down and they have to be carefull. I'll let you know if conditions change. She has taken so much Chemo and steriods to try to stop this thing that they are wearing on her. One brave little fighting lady.

Posted

Prayers sent for your niece and the family. I hope she gets better soon.

Posted

Though stuff. I spent a week in the hospital kast year with a blood infection from a simple biopsy. Praying for her and the rest of your family!

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