Annie Wheeler Fight Club

Any record of Annika's journey would be incomplete without including the GoFundMe page created by her Uncle Lance.  While our family has been blessed by the generosity of others in small ways over the years, we've always tried to be financially independent.  It's taken a lot of humility to allow ourselves to be the recipients of such a targeted campaign, but the truth is that we really needed the help.  Knowing that the financial burden of Annika's illness will not cripple our family has allowed us to focus on her healing during this critical time.  Even more, we have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from around the globe.  There aren't words to express the depth of our gratitude to those who have given so generously.  Over and over we have been brought to tears by the kindness of those we know and love, as well as the tenderness of complete strangers.

One thing I promise, though.  You have changed me.  Your love inspires me to give more freely--whether emotionally, spiritually, or materially.  Your generosity in saving Annika's heart is changing mine.  The world is a more beautiful place because of your love.  Thank you!

Annie Wheeler Fight Club Fund!

My name is Lance Wheeler, or "Uncle Lance" to my sweet 9-year-old niece, Annie.

On December 23rd, shortly before joining our family for the holiday weekend, Annie was helping her dad (my brother, Jason) prepare some gift baskets for members of their local church congregation. As they were leaving, Annie briefly complained of her jaw and chest hurting before collapsing, fully unconscious without a heartbeat.

My brother rushed her to the closest hospital, beat down the ER doors, and stared in shock as an incredible emergency team performed CPR on her for roughly 20 minutes before they could get her heart beating again. Shortly thereafter, she was put on a life-flight helicopter to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. Upon arrival, Annie was placed on extracorporeal life support (ECMO) to help oxygenate and pump her blood, as her heart was unable to sustain life on its own. Annie is now heavily sedated and intubated, but we have seen a few special moments of her vibrant spirit fighting hard to come back to us. Most promisingly, her heart has slowly regained some function, and when her sedation has been lightened, she has been responsive to interactions with her parents and siblings.

The frightening uncertainty of Annie's unknown prognosis has caused a lot of stress, but we feel extremely grateful for the small miracles we have seen this Christmas season. We are indebted to the doctors and specialists who have worked tirelessly through their holiday weekend to keep Annie stable and as comfortable as possible.

Annie's medical emergency on Friday came on the heels of another family financial event; Annie's mother was rear-ended in a hit-and-run accident on Monday, December 19th, totaling the vehicle used to transport their family of 6.

Our family has seen an incredible outpouring of love from countless individuals. Many have asked how they can help support Annie and her family in this challenging time. After much internal dialogue, we felt setting up this fundraiser to be the easiest way for others to help.

We don't know how long Annie will need emergency medical care, but given the time of year this is taking place, Jason's family will be faced with two "out-of-pocket maximums." Additionally, they will need to manage the totaled vehicle in the coming weeks. While Jason's family does have some savings to help support some of these unexpected costs, I anticipate that the cost of longer-term care, coupled with the need to replace their family car, will quickly compound beyond their capacity.

I know Jason and his family will only reluctantly accept this communal financial support, but I also have heard from so many people that want to support them. Charity sometimes requires the tables to be turned, accepting support, rather than giving it (for once in their life!) Thank you for whatever support you feel you can give to their family as they manage this incredibly difficult season in their lives.

A photo of Annika and her Uncle Lance taken this spring.  Lance, thank you for being there for Annika to help her move forward, both then and now.  We love you!

Updates (1)

January 1, 2023by Lance Wheeler, Organizer

Thank you all for your incredible support. Jason has asked that I share this update below:

To the hundreds of individuals and families, known and unknown, who have contributed to support our Annika and our family at this challenging time: thank you.

Translating into words the emotions I feel about the events of this past week is… well. Impossible. We cruise through life, bounced and bruised at times by the pains and losses experienced by extended family members, by close friends, and sometimes even by strangers whose paths we briefly cross or whose stories we encounter in the news or on pages like this one. But mostly, the perpetual motion of day-to-day living keeps us moving along from one set of joys and challenges to the next. Then one day, the heart-wrenching adversity that has always been somebody else’s becomes your own, and it’s your own hands hefting a child from a snow-covered sidewalk into the back seat of your car, your own voice shouting "Stay With Me!!!" as you speed through the streets, your own still daughter cradled in your arms at the doors of a hospital emergency room.

Since those initial terrifying moments, we have witnessed countless individuals come together to provide life-saving care for our daughter. As the nurses and doctors at Salt Lake Regional performed CPR on Annie, I became acutely aware that her survival was fully out of my own control. It’s a strange feeling to surrender your most precious treasure into somebody else’s care—it’s an act requiring almost-perfect trust and faith. With every subsequent procedure, we have felt our imperfect faith be buoyed by the love, prayers, and faith that each of you have offered in Annie’s behalf.

While it has been a week filled with both progress and setbacks, in the last two days Annie’s condition has improved significantly. She is awake, and physically is doing really well. The doctors have begun to identify factors that led to this event and are working on a treatment plan moving forward to hopefully prevent this from happening again. Even though she will be in the hospital for some time still, the road ahead looks very promising.

When Lance first spoke with me about setting up this gofundme page, he wrapped up the conversation with something along the lines of, "I’m letting you know, but not exactly asking for your permission." This too has required a measure of faith and trust, accepting help from others who are anxious to give and whose collective capacity far exceeds our own. We have been humbled to tears by the generosity all of you have offered. At a time of exceptional worry and fear, your kindness towards our family has alleviated a significant mental, emotional, and financial burden.

With all our hearts, we thank you.

Love, Jason, Kara, Brooklyn, Talia, Eli, and of course, Annika!