A softball star from Pittsburgh was left in a medically induced coma after she dismissed a UTI as tiredness from her rigorous training schedule.
Katie Sullivan, 18, celebrated Christmas and New Year’s Eve with her family as normal, but the next day she was left ‘fighting for her life’ after a UTI she thought was just mild back pain took a turn for the worse.
She was rushed to hospital on New Year’s Day where doctors diagnosed her with septic shock from a urinary tract infection which caused abscesses in her liver, kidney and back.
Her mother, Shannon Sullivan told WKYT: ‘She was a perfectly healthy 18-year-old who was suddenly fighting for her life on Sunday.
‘We weren’t given much hope. So, we brought all our family in. And hour to hour, we went out and celebrated that she didn’t deteriorate.’
Katie is a softball star and gymnast and wrote off her UTI symptoms as back pain from her rigorous training schedule
When she was rushed to hospital doctors determined she was in septic shock
The 18-year-old celebrated the holidays with her family as normal
She added: ‘When they did the testing, they found she had a urinary tract infection for about a month that actually caused a hole in her kidney, which caused an abscess in her liver into her back muscle and behind her kidney.
‘She was in septic shock.’
Katie was placed into a medically induced coma and spent over a week in and out of surgery and on a ventilator with brain swelling.
At one point her family were told Katie had suffered a ‘brain injury’ and they would need to take things ‘hour to hour’.
But then the next day, they were told there was no ‘devastating brain injury’ and they were hopeful they could ‘turn this around’.
On Monday, Shannon wrote on Facebook: ‘Please continue to pray for continual improvement and the doctors to get more answers today.
‘We need a miracle so keep praying. We all need our Katie back to being our bubbly beautiful sweet Katie.’
Katie was taken out of ICU on Friday after a terrifying week and a half for her family
By Friday she was able to eat and talk by herself and the ventilator was removed
On Wednesday, the family had good news to share, writing: ‘We got our miracle our baby has woken up and is answering questions appropriately by shaking her head yes or no.
‘She is moving all her extremities and squeezing hand and wiggling toes like they ask her too.
‘I can not thank all of you enough for Praying for our Katie. Our road to full recovery is long. Our prayers have been answered.’
On Thursday Katie’s ventilator was removed and she was able to talk and eat and by Friday she was out of the intensive care unit.
Shannon wrote: ‘We are moving out of the ICU today is the plan. Kidneys did well over night and are improving!! Talking and eating.
‘We are continuing physical therapy today to get stronger!!! God is Great!!
The softball star is hopeful to be back in uniform soon, but there is a ‘long road ahead’
Katie graduated from Central Valley High School
‘Thank you for all the prayers and thank you to all the ICU staff and doctors of MICU North!!! You are the best. Continued prayers for our recovery!!!’
The family urged people to never ignore back pain.
Shannon said: ‘Even if you think it’s nothing, please get it checked.
‘Because never in a million years, and I’m a nurse practitioner, did I think I’d be watching my daughter being intubated, being given a dire diagnosis at 18.’
If caught early, most UTIs can be treated with a short course of oral antibiotics if needed, but if left untreated they can lead to serious kidney infections.