My sister passed away suddenly and unexpectedly due to septic shock from necrotizing fasciitis. Late Monday evening she had a sudden high fever. A doctor came to see her at home, as she felt too ill to go to the doctor’s and wait so long in a waiting room. The doctor felt her symptoms were viral – a flu virus—and didn’t prescribe any antibiotics. Her fever came down to low-grade by the next day, but she continued to feel ill. One side of her neck was somewhat swollen and rosy. The doctor said if she wasn’t feeling any better in a few days to go see her own doctor.

She continued to feel ill, but with what seemed like flu-like symptoms. By the time she awoke and said she felt more ill than she’d ever felt before -- her mid section was distended and red with intense pain-- it was early Friday morning. These severe symptoms happened suddenly overnight. So she never had a chance to see her own doctor. We rushed her to the hospital. By the time she arrived at the hospital they couldn’t get a pulse or blood pressure reading and she was placed on life support. They did blood tests and a cat scan. They then knew she had necrotizing fasciitis. The doctor operated immediately and removed everything to the muscle on her right side (mid-section). The doctor said he still didn’t know if she’d make it. She was still on life-support and quarantined in ICU. She was heavily sedated and couldn’t open her eyes or talk, and we could only briefly visit her all gowned up with gloves, and masks. We were told she needed to rest and that we should go home late Friday evening, that she was very very sick and to pray.

A few hours later we got a phone call to come back right away as her heart stopped. I’ll never forget running into the ICU to see her, and before we could reach her room they said “I’m sorry, she’s gone”. They tried everything for half an hour, but couldn’t revive her.

She died at the age of 54. We’re still in shock and will miss her forever!! We’ve made a donation to the foundation in memory of my sister, Cheryl-Ann.

Forever in our hearts,
Charlotte Inama (mother); Linda (sister) & Joseph Sansalone, Stephen, Sylvia; Betty-Jean (sister) & John Lawrence, Christopher, Eric, Agnesa