Danielle Mauldin

My name is Danielle Mauldin and I am 26 years old. In the summer of 2019, I began studies at the University of West Florida to obtain a second bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences. With a major in biology and a minor in chemistry, this second degree would have allowed me to become an accredited medical laboratory scientist in Florida. But in May of 2019, I visited the ER for the third night in a row and was given 24 hours to live.

I suffered a blood clot in one of the vessels that brings blood away from my small intestines, an extremely rare case in my young age of a mesenteric ischemia. On May 20th, two surgeons attempted to salvage what remained of my small intestines, but we were told there was nothing else they could do and that the infection was too far spread.

Family and close friends traveled from my home of Louisiana to be by my side. I was able to say goodbye to those I loved and had people promise they would look after my mother and boyfriend. For an entire week, I was on comfort care receiving ample amounts of pain medication. Despite this, my vitals remained strong and I was still desperately clinging to life. On May 27th, my family had begun to perform their own research and asked for more clear answers and more specific tests.

Hospital administrators and physicians joined their fight and searched for surgeons and hospitals that would be willing to accept me into their care and give me another chance to live. I was put back into ICU.

On May 30th, my mom and I were airlifted to Cleveland, Ohio where I was immediately prepped for a 6-hour surgery to remove necrotic and infected tissue and re-route vessels in preparation for a future small bowel transplant. I survived the surgery. Afterwards, I was able to stare my boyfriend, Alejo Perea, in the eyes and wiggle my toes and fingers on command. Since then the ventilation tube has been removed.

Doctors in Florida are calling my survival an act of God. Before I went into surgery, one nurse said I looked her in the eyes and told her “We will be witnesses to a miracle”. But, my fight is far from over. I will have to be on anti-rejection medication for the rest of my life and will need home care post transplant. The costs of transplant and medications is upwards of a million dollars.

Our community is already INCREDIBLY responsive to my story and has already truly shown me what it means to band together in times of need. But we need to reach more people. We want more prayers. Please help us to share this miracle with the world. Please help me get back into the laboratory to help ensure these kinds of incidents stop happening! Please help us in the fight for a happy ending.

Family and friends of Danielle Mauldin are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with transplantation. Danielle has chosen to fundraise for Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility to the full extent allowed by law for contributors. Contributors can be sure donations will be used to pay or reimburse medical and related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Give button.

For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.

Thank you for your support!