Newest World Champion Fights for Her Life
http://blog.angieflinn.com/2008/11/newest-world-ch.html
On Friday, October 31st, Jim received a phone call from his colleague and friend, Mark Brown (1995 World Champion of Public Speaking). Within less than an hour, Jim and I were heading into downtown Dallas to Baylor Medical Center.
LaShunda Rundles, 2008 World Champion, member of District 50 and friend, is in Baylor's Intensive Care Unit, fighting for her life. Her sister said to definitely get the word out ... so I figure my blog is a pretty quick way to at least start that. LaShunda needs all the prayers, well-wishes, and "good vibes" she can get.
LaShunda has battled Lupus for years. Lupus is an auto-immune disorder where your immune system goes crazy. It can't tell the difference between foreign substances and your own cells. Your body ends up turning on itself. (To learn more, click here.)
Within the past eighteen months, the fight waged within her body has become downright vicious. Late last year, she had several toes amputated. She's gone from a size 10 to a size 0. And at the World Championship in Calgary this August, LaShunda was fighting just to keep food down as her body rebelled against her.
In late September, against her doctor's orders, LaShunda attended an event held here in District 50 to honor her accomplishments. She delivered a keynote speech from a chair on-stage that was moving beyond words. Her message was one of hope, and of love, and of encouragement.
Immediately afterwards, she checked into the hospital.
As her doctors struggled to figure out what was wrong, last week, LaShunda's intestine perforated, spilling toxins into her body. Infection set in. And her pain became unbearable.
When Jim and I visited LaShunda on Friday, they had her completely under sedation because of the pain. There were so very many tubes and wires coming out of her body ... but LaShunda is a fighter. As her sister, Sonja, told us, "She's a Rundles." And though her doctors said her prognosis was grim, Sonja told us LaShunda knew she was in the hands of the ultimate physician.
Over the weekend, the doctors pumped her full of antibiotics to battle the infection. And a great many prayers were said on LaShunda's behalf.
Jim and I visited her again this morning. I didn't know what to expect ... but LaShunda actually opened her eyes! Though she was still heavily sedated, LaShunda clearly knew we were there. Sonja said to her, "These Toastmasters sure do love you," LaShunda cracked a smile around her breathing tube.
When we left, LaShunda seemed to be resting peacefully.
She heads in for exploratory surgery tomorrow morning, when her doctors will assess the extent of the damage. Sonja will keep us posted, and I'll pass the news along to you here.
At that District 50 event just a handful of weeks ago, someone asked LaShunda what her goal was now that she'd won the World Championship of Public Speaking. "I'm at peace," she said. "You know how we wonder if we've done what we're supposed to do with our lives? I don't have that angst any more. From this point on, it's all gravy, baby."
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