"Tratamiento en Mexico"-- Mexican TV Interview! :)

My life-savers :)

Hi everyone! I just got the link for my Mexican TV interview and wanted to post it an share it with you all, along with an english translation :)

This is the short version of the report that aired in the middle of the afternoon. However, during the nightly news, a nearly 6 minute segment was aired, with additional commentary from newscaster Gregorio Martinez. What he said, and the way he explained my case, really touched my heart and I wish I had a copy of the transcript to share with you.

Basically, what he said that this was a very special report because it was a "feel good" story-- one of happiness, inspiration and hope... and that it was nice to report good news for a change, in the middle of a lot of bad and horrible things that are currently being reported on the news in Monterrey everyday.

He said that this report shows the recovery of a young girl, who thanks to the love, support and prayers of so many in Monterrey and around the world, survived the unimaginable and now has new hope and a new life.

This is the first report on RSD to ever air on Mexican TV and I know from the feedback we have been getting that it has already helped a lot of people to learn about this poorly understood and often misdiagnosed disease.

Well, here is the report... Enjoy!

 “TREATMENT IN MEXICO”- A young woman gets her life back after her nervous system is affected by a rare disease after a tick bite.

It’s an incredible story—a young woman’s life was completely changed for years after a tick bite caused her to have serious health problems. She left the United States after doctors there said there was nothing more they could do. But here in Monterrey, she found a new hope for life thanks to treatment from local doctors.

Main report:

The bite of a tick completely changed Jessica’s life.

Only five years ago she was a healthy young girl, completely different than what she became.

She became extremely ill and was expected to die. 

She was confined to a bed, she couldn’t even tolerate the touch of her clothing on her skin, any lights, sounds and all contact caused her to have intolerable pain.

The pain provoked painful skin lesions all over her body.

All of this is the consequence of a disease called “Distrofia Simpatica Refleja” or R-S-D, as it is called in the United States.

Doctors believe that the tick bite caused her nervous system to malfunction, causing her brain to interpret all stimulus as extremely painful.

Dr. Fernando Cantu: “Therefore, the pain signal enters into the nervous system in a normal way… However, in these patients, there is an amplification in the way their nervous systems interprets pain.…sensations that a typical person experiences as completely normal—provokes extreme pain in these patients. It’s very painful.”

In the United States, Jessica and her mother visited hundreds of doctors. Some recommended amputating her arm, others said that she was going to die.

Sarah Stevens/Mom: Doctors told me, “We don’t know what your daughter has…So, I took her to see another doctor.. and then many others. Finally, we found out that she had an illness called Lyme. Lyme disease is an infection you get from the bite of a tick.”

“But at that time, she was doing very badly. Her immune system was very low and she couldn’t fight the infection. Because of that, she developed another illness, called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.”

As a last hope for this young girl, doctors in the United States said that Jessica would need to travel to Monterrey Mexico to see Dr. Fernando Cantu, an anesthesiologist at Hospital San Jose.

There she would become part of a protocol, studying the use of Ketamine, a very powerful and potent anesthetic drug, using very high doses to induce the patient into a coma.

Dr. Fernando Cantu: “It functions similarly to shutting down, and re-starting a computer. You shut down the pain receptors, with the hope that when the treatment is finished, there will be a normal communication restored between the receptors, and no longer a painful stimulus.”

Now, Jessica’s life is completely different!

Her pain is gone and she can do so many different things. The hope is that she will one day soon be able to walk again.

Jessica “The Ketamine has been a miracle for me. My lesions are gone, I can move my legs and I can eat everything!”

Jessica: “I have a new life.”

Vicente Valdez (reporter): “Here at Hospital San Jose, her doctors are practicing this type of treatment and it is practically the only place in the world offering the ketamine protocol. This treatment can really offer a new quality of life to patients who are suffering with this rare disease.

When Jessica is completely recovered she wants to return to Monterrey to work with the doctors who saved her life and help other patients who have this disease recover.

--Vicente Valdez, Televisa Monterrey.

At the end of the segment, news reporter Gregorio Martinez came back on and said that for anyone interested in learning more about RSD and helping us with our mission of raising awareness of this disease should go and visit:  www.sertefiel.com

Serte Fiel is a new RSD Foundation in Mexico started by my dear friend Estefy and her incredible parents Jaime and Alma, with the intention to raise awareness and funding for research. Estefy is an amazing 19 year old who has been battling a severe case of RSD for a while now.

Estefy has become a "hermanita", little sister, to me and I thank God that we met and became so close, even though I wish the circumstances were different....

Me visiting Estefy in my old hospital room

Estefy is currently (ironically) in my old hospital room (aka the"miracle room") She is very strong, but if you could all please keep her in your prayers too, I would appreciate it! 

I am also very thankful to my amazing friends, the Marroquin Family- Luis, Susana, Susy, Paulina and Marifer, for sharing my story with Gregorio Martinez and making this interview with Televisa a reality!

The amazing Marroquin "kids"

They are very special people that we came to know and bond with in Monterrey and I consider them a part of my own family... They even recently came to visit me here in Naples! :)

With the Marroquin girls down on "The Pier" in Naples!

There are a lot of things I would change about the past rough years, but probably the one and ONLY thing that I would never change are the amazing people who came into my life through these circumstances... They're such a blessing!!!

Dios te bendiga!

Jessica

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HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOM!

Today is a really exciting day!! It's Mother's Day, and obviously, because I have the most incredibly amazing mom ever, I had to mention that today will be the FIRST mother's day that my mom is celebrating at home-- with all three of her daughters-- healthy-- in SIX years!!! Amazing! God is so good!

We are going to spend the day with all of our family, having brunch poolside, in beautiful sunny Florida. It's a miracle!!

My family and I have been blessed with SO many miracles... but the greatest of them all, for me, has been having my mom by my side. Nobody else could have endured what she did, done what she has, been as fierce of an advocate for me and still kept their sanity (ok, I know... the jury is still out on that one ;) ...

Even through the hardest, darkest and most painful times of the past few years, my mom always made me feel that my potential to make it through was as limitless as her love for me... and I knew, if that was true, than I could-- and would-- overcome anything.

Mom, your God-given strength and persistence is what kept me fighting. In the process, you've taught me to be selfless, to love those around me, to trust fully in God, to believe in only the best possible outcomes and in miracles. But quite honestly, just so you know...--YOU are my miracle.

I love you so much!

....WE love you so much!!

Todo nuestro amor para siempre! Te adoro!

Sus hijas,

Jessica, Katherine y Michelle

Also, a very Happy Mother's Day to my very special Nanny Yum-Yum and my Godmother, Aunt Carol! They are my two other 'motherly' influences in my life and their guidance and love has helped me so much, especially in these past few months with my transition back into "home life". I know it would be much more difficult (and less entertaining!) without their presence and support and I am truly blessed and very thankful we get to spend today all together, as a family! Love you!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

God bless!

Love, Jessica

Going on Mexican TV (Televisa) Monday !!!

Hi everyone! I wanted to share some exciting news with you all! On Monday, my story is going to be on Mexican TV!

Earlier this week, Vicente Valdez, a reporter from Mexican TV station “Televisa” came and did an interview with me, mom, Dr. Cantu (aka green-shirt) and Dr. Barrientos (aka Luigi) about RSD, the ketamine coma and my “Miracle in Monterrey”!

Interestingly, we are told that this will be the FIRST segment to ever air about RSD on Mexican TV (or distrofia simpatica refleja, as it is called here)!!!

I am very excited and know that this will bring about much greater awareness of RSD, here in Monterrey, where so many lives have been restored from it thanks to the dedication and wisdom of the amazing Dr. Fernando Cantu (who, by the way, I got to see wearing a white "doctors coat" for the first time ever, for this interview!)

...This interview is very important to me personally.

I have been talking so much about my story and doing interviews back home in the US, but the one thing missing from them all has been the faces, voices, smiles and comments of my two heroes who saved my life!

It has been God’s work through their hands that brought me out of the torturous pain and suffering that I lived with for so many years and they deserve all of the glory, honor and recognition for everything that they have done!

It was very special for me to be able to honor them in this way, here in their country, so that everyone in Monterrey will know of the miracle and life-saving treatment that took place here and also as a way to thank all of the staff at Hospital San Jose and the many friends and family that we now have in Monterrey, for all of their love, support and prayers. 

I have to say though, that filming a segment for Mexican TV is MUCH easier and a lot less “work” than filming in the US!

The only thing that made this a little more challenging was that I had to speak totally in Spanish!!!

I felt SO proud of both doctors as we sat there, re-living the journey we have all taken together over the past 2.5 years. They did a fantastic job!

Here are some ‘behind the scenes’ pictures my mom took of me and the doctors being filmed, walking around the Safi Hotel, where we have been staying this past week.

Jorge Safi, the owner of the hotel, has been so kind, supportive and accommodating of me and my special situation and we are so thankful to him for making our stay here so comfortable. He even let us use one of the really nice conference rooms upstairs to film the interview in!

Vicente Valdez sat down with the 4 of us and questioned us individually.

First, Dr. Cantu was asked to explain what RSD is, how it occurs, treatment options and his involvement with the Ketamine Coma Study.

Next, he had my mom describe what my life was like before coming to Monterrey and what led to our decision to undergo this radical and risky treatment with the hopes of saving my life.

Then he than asked me to describe what the pain of RSD feels like, what I endured these past 6 years and what it feels like now to have a new life! He also asked me to talk a bit about my meeting “La Primera Dama”—First Lady Michelle Obama!

Last, he interviewed Dr. Luigi. Luigi was the first doctor to see and evaluate me when I landed by private air ambulance to Hospital San Jose 2.5 years ago. Vicente asked him to describe what my condition was like, and what his first thoughts were upon seeing me back then.

Wow. That was rough and very emotional to hear, but necessary to show everyone just how devastating and horrible this condition can progress.

...What can I even say about these two guys?! How do you even begin to ever thank someone for saving your life (multiple times?!)

....I don’t know the answer to that, but what I do know is that they are forever in my heart and will always be a part of my family—my Mexican father and my Mexican brother. :)

The interview will be airing on Televisa Monterrey this Monday (5/7) ! I am told they are going to show the story 3 times throughout the day- Between 6am-10am, 12pm-2pm and 7pm-9pm

Televisa Monterrey is channel “3” on cable, ch. 34 regular TV, and ch. 142 on “sky”.

I will post a link to it on here once it is online, as well as a translation of the script for everyone too!

Thanks for checking in!

Dios te bendiga!

Love, Jessica

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Official pictures with the First Lady!

Here are two of the official pictures I just received of mom and I with First Lady Michelle Obama!!!

I MET FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA!!!

Hi!! Sorry for leaving everyone waiting with anticipation to hear all about my meeting First Lady Michelle Obama!!! It was so incredible and I have so much to share!

We got home pretty late last night and I still had to pack for my trip to Monterrey today, which we had already booked weeks ago before all of the excitement!

We landed in Mexico, safely, and I now finally have a chance to sit down and update everyone!

...So, Where do I even begin?

It has been such a whirldwind of a week!

Thursday night my story aired on TV on both NBC and FOX... Both reports were fantastic! Fox4's report by Patrick Nolan had such a huge interest and high demand that it was already re-aired twice since then!! It is the most viewed, shared, emailed, etc, story on their site right now, which is really cool amd so great for awareness!!!

FOX4- Florida woman credits 'miracle coma' for saving her life

NBC2- Experimental coma treatment gives RSD patient relief

 Friday morning I woke up, with the gorgeous Florida sun shining through my window, like any other day. Suddenly, it hit me... I am going to be meeting the First Lady of the United States... Tonight! Ahhhhh!!!!!! I could hardly contain my excitement as I woke up the entire house to remind everyone today was the big day...as if they could forget!  ;)

It seemed so surreal!!! I sometimes still have serious doubts as to whether all of these things are actually happening to me in real life... Or if I am still asleep in the coma, dreaming about it!

My mom left early to go get her hair and makeup done and my sisters did mine and helped me get all dressed up, which was a lot of fun!! I haven't 'dressed up' in over 6 years!

Here is mom and I all dressed to go and meet the First Lady!!

...We cleaned up well, I think :)

On Monday when I found out that I was going to be an honorary guest to meet Michelle Obama, I began putting together a packet of information to hand to her.

Here I am, all ready to go, awareness information in hand!

At 4pm we arrived to downtown Naples to the very upscale hotel called "The Inn on Fifth" where the dinner reception for Mrs. Obama was being held.

When we walked in there were tons of secret service and police men still doing their 'sweep' of the hotel..it was so surreal to see in action!

We were told to wait down in the lobby until the building was cleared for entry.

While waiting, I heard someone calling my name... It was Michael and Mabel, the two coordinators of the reception who invited me! It was so nice to meet them and put faces to their names! 

Mabel is from Monterrey and was born in Hospital San Jose! It's such a small world!

Upon entering our hands were stamped and we were given GREEN wristbands...anyone with a green band was going to get to meet Mrs. Obama and take a photo with her!

Jason escorted us upstairs and we enjoyed a cocktail reception while we waited anxiously for Michelle's motorcade to arrive. Most of the people there had seen my story on TV the night before and everyone was coming up to me, saying, "you're the coma girl" and wanting pictures and asking me questions... I felt like a celebrity! :)

Finally First Lady Michelle arrived and we were escorted downstairs to a private room!

I waited outside excitedly, wondering what I should even say to her!

The door opened.... And there she was, the first lady of the United States, in a beautiful red dress, smiling at me!

When she saw me being rolled in, she said, "Hi Jessica!" and extended her arms to me to give me a big hug!!


I told that it was my honor to be her guest and be able to meet her... She replied, "No, the honor is all mine to have you here... and I don't just mean "here" at this event tonight ... I mean here, as in "alive"."

She asked me to tell her my story and spent the next 5 minutes just listening to me tell her everything I have gone through in the past 6 years--- the tick bite, the suffering, the hundreds of doctors, and the  incredible pain of RSD, that made me feel like I was being burned from the inside out.

I told her how I was paralyzed, bedridden, fed thru a feeding tube, couldn't tolerate being touched, how lights and sounds caused me to have seizures and how I was told I was going to die.

I showed her this pictures of the skin lesions on my arm, and then the picture of me in the ketamine coma.

She looked at me, in shock, and said, "oh my gosh... You poor baby...You look so good, so pretty..... I can't believe that was you! ...I think I need to hug you again, just because I CAN without hurting you!"

I told her all about the ketamine coma treatment that saved my life... In Mexico... And how  it is not currently available in the United States.... Even though ketamine has been approved by the FDA for over 30 years!

I told her how my family had to be separated for 2.5 years while I struggled for survive with my mom sleeping on a couch in my hospital room for 14 months straight. I told her how this is not just an isolated rare case... That there are many people in desperate need of this treatment, here in our country, suffering greatly.

She looked at my mom with tears in her eyes and told her she was an incredible mother, and that she would do the same for either of her two girls.

She turned back to me and said, "So, after seeing hundreds of doctors, you had to go to Mexico and go into a coma to get well?.... Do you have any further information about your treatment and illness that I can read tonight on my plane ride back to DC?"

I said 'yes!' and handed her my packet of information :)

I also handed her another packet of info for her husband... The President! Who better to get information into the presidents hands than his wife?!

My mom and I gave Michelle a hand-painted cross from Monterrey for her to put in the White House and also two little hand-made mexican dolls for Malia and Sasha.

We hugged again and she told me that I was  "glowing with life" and that I was the poster child for why our country so desperately needs healthcare reform.

She then motioned for another woman who was standing in the room to come over. Mrs. Obama introduced the woman as her chief of staff and executive director of the White House (!!!) and asked me to share my story with her! I did, and she gave me her contact information and said we would stay in touch.

I gave everyone  I met, including Michelle, one of my "Jessica's Journey" awareness bracelets, so they would remember me later that night when they went home and took it off :)

There were some professional pictures taken of me hugging and meeting Mrs. Obama, but I do not have access to them yet. As soon as I do, I will post them on here!

Afterwards, we went upstairs to the banquet room to listen to her give a speech about her husbands campaign. I have to say she is truly a very gifted speaker.

At one point during the speech she said, "No American should be without a job... Or an education... Or without access to heathcare..."

She glanced toward me and mom, who were sitting in the front row, and added...."and no family should have to exhaust all of their resources to pay for medical care, outside of the country, for their dying child."

Everyone clapped. WOW. Is all I can really say about that!

She then spoke of change.... The changes we need to see in our country and how change does not happen overnight, but rather, in "small steps"... I smiled as I thought about what Dr. Cantu always says "small steps=huge advances" :)

I think it goes without saying that yesterday was a day that will be etched into my memory forever!!!! An amazing experience that I will always treasure and be so thankful for!

Through all of my years of suffering I never could have imagined a day when I would be meeting the First Lady, and sharing my story with her!!!! God is so awesome!!

There were signs everywhere, little and big, yesterday showing me that He orchestrated this entire meeting, and I pray and hope it will lead to more awareness and bigger and better things to come for all suffering in the near future!

Last night fox re-aired my 'miracle coma' segment and at the end they added this brief clip:

RSD patient meets First Lady:

Tomorrow morning I will be presenting a 30 minute video I have put together about my journey, set to inspirational music and speaking about my 'Miracle in Mexico' at the Union Church in Monterrey, whose pastor, Dave Long, and entire congregation continually prayed for me and were such a strong physical and emotional support to my mom and I during our time living here. I can't wait to share my healing, in person, with them all!

I am looking forward to spending the week with my 'mexican family' and sharing all of the excitement and new happy memories in my life with them! I continue to feel really great, but these periodic trips for follow up care and evaluation with the doctors who saved my life in Mexico are vital and key in keeping me this way :)

Michelle Obama even wrote a little note for me on this picture of me and my heroes, Dr. Cantu and Dr. Luigi!  So cool! I framed it in my bedroom already!

Well, it is time for me to finally rest and prepare for tomorrow! I am exhausted from the traveling today and events of yesterday, but wanted to update everyone on this incredible experience!

Ps- I have a funny story about my trip today...They wouldn't let me through airport security at Miami international airport because they said I didn't look like the picture on my passport!!!!! We resolved the issue, but I guess that is a great testimony to the healing that continues to take place! Haha

Thanks for checking in! I will update again once I am back stateside :)

God bless!!

Love,
Jessica

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