Lani Bulmer’s dream of living a normal life again may be one step closer to coming true, thanks to the generosity of a group of strangers.
The 36-year-old Saskatoon woman has been living with post-sepsis syndrome for the last 11 years. Each day is exhausting, she says. Her joints and muscles ache. She’s nauseous, and she struggles to get out of bed.
“It’s really hard. It’s like you’ve had the worst flu you’ve had, plus you’ve pulled all of your muscles,” Bulmer says.
Sepsis, a debilitating condition, is the body’s life-threatening response to an infection. Bulmer says, during a routine surgery when she was 25, her bowels were accidentally cut, which led to complications.
“From the moment I woke up, I’ve just never been the same.”
She went into septic shock and was eventually placed on life support.
She survived, but post-sepsis syndrome has since left her unable to work.
Bulmer says she can’t find support or resources in Saskatoon. She’s hoping to eventually see doctors at a Mayo Clinic in the United States, which might now be possible thanks to one supportive Facebook group.
The group, which auctions off Lululemon clothing, started a fundraiser after learning of Bulmer’s condition. They managed to raise more than $2,000 in just two days — which is half of what Bulmer will likely need to make it to a Mayo Clinic.
She says she never asked the group to help her but that she’s still overwhelmed by the support.
“I appreciate it more than they know. Nobody else has ever done anything like that,” she says.
