- ‘Perfectly healthy’ Katie Sullivan, 18, of Pittsburgh was rushed to the hospital on New Year’s Day
- Doctors diagnosed her with a urinary tract infection that had led to septic shock and caused abscesses in her liver and back
- She was put into a medically induced coma and her family was told to prepare for the worst
A Pittsburgh softball player fell into a medically induced coma after brushing off a urinary tract infection as fatigue as part of her rigorous training regimen.
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 urinary tract infection that 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 septic shock due to a urinary tract infection that caused abscesses in her liver, kidneys 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 didn’t get much hope. So we brought our whole family. And from hour to hour we went outside to celebrate the fact that she was not deteriorating.’
Katie Sullivan is a softball player and gymnast who wrote off her UTI symptoms as back pain from her rigorous exercise regimen
When she was rushed to the 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 tests they discovered she had a urinary tract infection for about a month which actually caused a hole in her kidney which caused an abscess in her liver in her back muscle and behind her kidney.
“She was in septic shock.”
Katie was put into a medically induced coma and spent more than a week in surgeries and surgeries and on a ventilator with brain swelling.
At one point, her family was told that Katie had suffered a “brain injury” and that they would have to take things “hour by hour.”
But the next day they were told there was no ‘devastating brain injury’ and they hoped they could ‘reverse this’.
On Monday, Shannon wrote on Facebook: “Please continue to pray for continued improvement and for doctors to get more answers today.
“We need a miracle, so keep praying. We all need our Katie to be our bubbly, beautiful, sweet Katie again.”
Katie was moved out of ICU on Friday after a week and a half of terror for her family
On Friday she was able to eat and talk independently and the ventilator was removed
On Wednesday, the family had good news to share, writing, “We have achieved our miracle of our baby waking up and answering questions correctly by shaking her head yes or no.
“She moves all her limbs and squeezes hands and wiggles toes whatever they ask her to do.
“I can’t thank you all 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 on Friday she was released from intensive care.
Shannon wrote: “We are moving out of the ICU today is the plan. The kidneys did well last night and are making progress!! Talking and eating.
‘We will continue with physiotherapy today to get stronger!!! God is awesome!!
The softball player hopes to be back in uniform soon, but there is still a ‘long road’
Katie graduated from Central Valley High School
‘Thank you for all the prayers and thank you to all the ICU staff and doctors at MICU North!!! You are the best. Continued prayers for our recovery!!!’
The family urged people never to ignore back pain.
Shannon said, “Even if you think it’s nothing, please get it checked out.
“Because as a nurse, I never in a million years thought I would see my daughter being intubated and given a terrible diagnosis at the age of 18.”
If caught early, most urinary tract infections can be treated with a short course of oral antibiotics if necessary, but if left untreated they can lead to serious kidney infections.