KATE NEWTON
If you are inclined to pray before you go to sleep at night, Matisse Reid's mum has a favour to ask of you. Jodee's 6-year-old daughter is seriously ill in Pittsburgh Hospital with a yeast infection in the Hickman line which feeds her.
And with Christmas only two weeks away
Matisse could be spending the day, which also happens to be her birthday, in a hospital bed.
Matisse was hit by a fever and chills last night, so knowing it was likely to be a line infection Jodee took her straight to the emergency room at the hospital, where Matisse could eventually receive her small bowel and stomach transplant.
"Matisse keeps having spiking fevers and has had a headache which won't go away," Jodee said today.
The antibiotics aren't making a difference and both mother and daughter are tired after a sleepless night.
Jodee's fears that it was a yeast infection have been confirmed.
"Once you get yeast in the line you can almost kiss the line goodbye," she said.
"We usually manage to treat yeast once before it returns again weeks or months down the track and that is when the line has to go."
Matisse's Hickman line hydrates and medicates her as her chronic intestinal pseudo obstruction means she can't eat.
Jodee said Matisse was tired of being sick all the time and asking "how come I'm the one who is sick when we all came from your tummy?"
As they wait for the call to let them know organs are ready for Matisse's transplant, Jodee has asked for people back home to keep them in their thoughts.
"Please pray for us," Jodee said.
"We cannot afford to lose this line. Plus Matisse's birthday is coming up and we want her well and out of hospital for her party, next Sunday, and her birthday on Christmas Day."
