Erica grew strong, back to hiking every mountain and soaring down them all on her skis once again.  But this burst of good health was so short lived.  She literally ran out of air.  Her new, strong, hearty immune system decided it didn’t recognize her own lungs and attacked her lungs as if they were a flue bug or a cold.  This process of rejection literally obliterated her lungs, resulting in her weight plummeting to 84lbs and requiring full time oxygen support.  She was told her only chance of survival would be a double lung transplant.  Her health deteriorated daily.  Staying the course became a feat in itself.  

 

With thanks to the family of another who made the most trying of decisions, amidst their most trying of times, Dr. Erica was gifted the gift of gifts of new lungs!  She could finally breathe again; a gift we all so readily take for granted!  

 

But the story did not end there.  Erica endured even more unexpected complications and faced another yearlong hospital admission.  She was referred to as the “Hail Mary” of the province’s largest hospital.  And defying every odd against her yet again, she miraculously survived it all.  

 

Finally back at home in the summer of 2017, so eager for the calm after the storm, her husband chose to divorce.  She then faced a move, a legal nightmare and learning to navigate as a single young mom. 

 

But despite the hardships, Erica has chosen to focus on the many silver linings that have come in tow.  Through those tumultuous few years, she has found so much strength she never knew she had and such an utter joy to “get” to live each day;  to “get” to be mama to her two beautiful boys!