A little over a month ago 38-year-old Tiffany King, mom to Nesi 27 (adopted), Davontae 19, Inoke 16, Robbie 10, Mckelvey 7, and Jamison 4, got a cold. However, because she takes Humira to combat her Ankylosing Spondylitis (a rare form of arthritis that affects the spine and large joints in the body) and Humira weakens the immune system, her simple cold turned into bacterial and viral pneumonia, putting her in the hospital for a month, where she got sepsis.

And according to her niece Rielly Fonohema, contracting the life-threatening blood infection lowered King’s chance of living from 70-percent to 15-percent in a matter of days.

However, it was when doctors put King on Levophed (which treats low blood pressure and heart failure) that the drug “shunted off the blood from her extremities” 1 resulting in the need for a quadruple amputation. King will now need four prosthetics, costing about $225,000, none of which is covered by her health insurance.

Her family has continued to follow her lead and stay positive. Niece Rielly Fonohema said,  “She’s been the most humble, positive light that our family has ever had and we’ve been blessed to welcome her into the family. There is no one you’ll find more deserving, more loving and humble than Tiffany Fonohema [King].”2

Because medical bills, the cost of prosthetics, and renovations to the home to accommodate Tiffany are out of reach, a GoFundMe page was set up by the family. As always, please give as you are able and feel led.

Sources and References

  1. ABC News 13 WLOS, March 11, 2018.
  2. ABC News 13 WLOS, March 11, 2018.