Chris Kamke suffered a medical emergency on September 20 in Utah that left her comatose, paralyzed, and dependent on a ventilator nearly 1,700 miles from her Wisconsin home following a bout with breast cancer, prompting her family to seek donations for emergency medical transport.
Family Hiking Trip to Zion National Park Turns Into Medical Emergency
Chris Kamke celebrated learning her breast cancer was in remission over the summer before she and her husband, Kendall, along with their son Kyle, left their home in Wisconsin for a family hiking trip in Zion National Park.
Kamke successfully hiked the park’s Narrows trail on their first day. The family decided to visit Bryce Canyon as their next destination on September 20, but the trip took a severe turn after they finished.
Kamke began experiencing intense pain while at Emerald Pools. The discomfort in her legs, thighs, and hips quickly became so excruciating that she could neither sit nor lie down comfortably for the drive back.
Kamke Is Airlifted and Diagnosed with Bacterial Pneumonia
The family made a detour to a nearby hospital roughly 30 minutes away in Panguitch, Utah, and Kamke was airlifted to Intermountain Health St. George Regional Hospital.
Kamke developed breathing difficulties within hours of her arrival. A CT scan revealed fluid in her lungs, leading to a diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia.
Within hours, Chris developed difficulty breathing, and a CT scan revealed fluid in her lungs. She was then diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia.
GoFundMe description, via Yahoo
Doctors considered whether the drastic temperature swings in the park—which can reach highs around 91°F and drop to lows of about 60°F in September—contributed to her condition. Her sister Tammy Thomas arrived to find her unresponsive as her health deteriorated further.
By the time I got there on Friday, she was non-responsive completely, and has been since then. So, since September 25th, she has been comatose.
Tammy Thomas, via Dailymail
Doctors Diagnose Kamke with Rare Autoimmune Disease
Her doctors believe that while her body was fighting the infection, her immune system also began attacking her spinal cord, with inflammation spreading to her brainstem.
Kamke was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the spinal cord and nerves in the eyes and affects approximately one out of every 250,000 people, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Thomas noted that her sister had maintained an active lifestyle prior to the trip, walking, kayaking, biking, golfing, and playing on a softball team at age 65. Today, Kamke is paralyzed, in a coma and dependent on a ventilator.
Fundraising Efforts for Medical Transport Flight Back to Wisconsin
Kamke’s family is attempting to arrange a specialized hospital transport flight back to Wisconsin because the medical emergency occurred nearly 1,700 miles from home.
Insurance has denied coverage for the transport, which the family states could exceed $50,000. The family partnered with Grace on Wings, a nonprofit whose volunteer medical crew agreed to manage the flight once fuel costs are met.
A GoFundMe campaign established for the family has raised more than $35,000 to help cover the estimated $27,000 to $28,000 in jet fuel required for the journey. The family hopes to bring Kamke back to Wisconsin within the week.
