Elisia Mendez knows firsthand the healing power of support.
After an ovarian cancer diagnosis at 24 years old and giving birth to a son with anencephaly eight years ago, she had given up on the idea of having additional kids.
So in February 2024, when the two blue lines reappeared and the 37-year-old heard the words “you are pregnant, ” excitement and panic crept into her mind.
“It was just happiness and delight. At the same time, there was a lot of fear,” Elisia said. “We kept counting down weeks and every time I didn’t feel her move, it was distressing. But we were elated, taken aback, and very surprised.”
Elisia gave birth to her daughter, Roselia, on September 16.
But, on September 22, Elisia was experiencing a lot of pain and started to feel faint and unsteady. She went back to the hospital and discovered she had necrotizing fasciitis, a life-threatening bacterial infection, which had created several abscesses in the cesarean section area. After being flown from Mary Lanning Healthcare in Hastings to Bryan Medical Center East Campus in Lincoln, Elisia also discovered she was septic and her family was forced to decide to do a full hysterectomy to save her life.
Two weeks later, she came to Madonna Rehabilitation Specialty Hospital to begin her recovery journey.
“I could barely lift my head or arms,” Elisia said. “I lacked strength.”
Her care team worked together to introduce the basics of moving and sitting balance. Progressively, they developed power in her core muscles and legs to work on sitting, standing and walking.
“With each new task she was overcoming you could see her confidence grow,” Michelle Claycomb, PT, MSPT, CSPHC, a Madonna physical therapist, said. “I think she sometimes surprised herself in what she could really do once she was able to start moving her own body. She was moving with a purpose.”
Dealing with a significant amount of pain, fear and anxiety, Elisia’s care team also focused on shifting her mindset from “I can’t do that” to “Ok, I’ll try.”
“As we built that foundation of trust, she was able to lean into the process and push for her own growth and development,” Amanda Cool, MS OTR/L, a Madonna occupational therapist, said. “We were so astounded at her resilience and ability to continue through the struggles to achieve her goals of returning to her home to be the wife and mother she has been dreaming about being for years. It’s a wonderful thing to see someone grow from initial tears of fear and pain to tears of appreciation, happiness, and success.”
She transitioned to the Rehabilitation Hospital, where her intense therapy picked up. Elisia engaged in a specialized program combining physical and occupational therapy designed to improve her strength and balance. Knowing she enjoyed cooking, her care team utilized Madonna’s therapy kitchen to practice standing and endurance and worked up to baking cookies from her wheelchair.
They also incorporated tasks that simulated her caring for her daughter by having her carry the baby doll in a car seat, taking walks with the stroller and loading and unloading a car seat. Finally, they got Elisia out of the hospital to practice community reintegration.
“The outing was a huge turning point in her recovery,” Emily Kouma, OTR/L, a Madonna occupational therapist, said. “It also gave her great confidence into how strong she had gotten and gave her hope for a more normal life after Madonna.”
With her husband, Warren, by her side and her daughter waiting for her at home, Elisia left Madonna ready to take on life as a new mom and recognized the role Madonna played in getting her to that step.
“You see different levels of caring here and I never felt like just a patient. They truly try to understand your situation,” Elisia said. “Thank you for helping me live and breathe life back into me.”
New mom relies on family support after necrotizing fasciitis and sepsis
