Cedar Park toddler's lungs collapse while on family vacation
Cedar Park toddler in hospital after vacation
A Cedar Park toddler suddenly stopped breathing during a family vacation, and her lungs collapsed, leading to weeks in the hospital. Now back home, her family is facing another fight to get her the care she needs while medical bills continue to pile up. FOX 7 Austin's Julieanna Jackson reports.
CEDAR PARK, Texas - A family vacation has turned into a fight to save a two-year-old girl’s life.
A Cedar Park toddler suddenly stopped breathing, and her lungs collapsed, leading to weeks in the hospital.
Now back home, her family is facing another fight to get her the care she needs while medical bills continue to pile up.
The backstory:
In July, while visiting family in Minnesota, Eliza Garulle started vomiting. Her father, Louis Garulle, says she was taken to an emergency room.
Her lungs collapsed and she stopped breathing. She was life-flighted where doctors found a severe narrowing and rupture in her esophagus.
Eliza spent seven-and-a-half weeks in the hospital.
Eliza Kathryn Garulle (Louis Garulle)
What they're saying:
"I would say Eliza is a light in a world of darkness. You know, from the moment I held her when she was born, she just lit something up in me that wasn’t there," said Louis Garulle.
"That’s what’s been so hard about all of this, just seeing her with all the tubes, seeing her in such a sedated state, seeing her in pain and not being able to take it away, not knowing how to protect her, and really just feeling helpless," he added.
Her family says the biggest sign of progress isn't a number, it's seeing more of their little girl again.
"Slowly, day by day, we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. She has made progress, even though there’s still a very long road ahead," Louis said.
What's next:
Her family says doctors are considering removing her damaged esophagus and using part of her intestine to reconstruct it with possibly months to years of recovery.
Eliza is expected to have more testing as doctors decide how soon she may need that major surgery.
For a family who thought they were leaving home for just one week, they’re now preparing for a recovery that could last years.
What you can do:
The financial toll is growing.
Louis Garulle says they're facing about $400,000 in out-of-pocket medical bills, so the family has now turned to the community for help.
Anyone who wishes to donate to help the Garulle family, click here or below for the GoFundMe campaign.
The Source: Information in this report comes from interviews/reporting by FOX 7 Austin's Julieanna Jackson.