*This post was originally an email on February 20, 2020.*
Hello, LL Community,
My heart is very heavy (both with sadness and hope) as I write this.
For any of you who don't yet know: last week, Lindsay and Dugan left on a much-needed, well-deserved vacation to Mexico.
On Sunday the 16th of February, less than 24 hours into the trip, Lindsay was suddenly struck with severe stomach pains and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. Doctors determined that she had kidney stones and an infection, and she stayed the evening in their care. After consulting with a doctor they know and trust, Lindsay and Dugan flew back to the States the next day.
Upon landing in Chicago on Monday evening, Lindsay was taken to a hospital in the area. Tests showed the infection had spread throughout her body, and she underwent surgery to drain the infected fluids from her kidneys. She's been in the ICU under sedation since, as the medical team waits for her numbers to stabilize.
This morning I got a fuller update from her good friends Ashley and Randi (a nurse), who said that Lindsay's numbers are trending in the right direction, that the infection is now under control, and that—barring anything truly shocking and unusual—her life isn't in danger anymore. At this point it's a matter of letting her rest, continuing the antibiotics and other treatments, assessing any long-term damage, and weaning her off the sedation.
There is much we're thankful for. We're thankful for a very qualified team of specialists who know what is going on and are confident that they are providing the right treatment plan. We're thankful that Lindsay is otherwise healthy, which means that her body should continue to respond to treatment and make a full recovery.
But we are, of course, extremely sad that this happened at all. It stings all the more that it happened while she was far from home and trying to relax and restore.
As her team, we know our role right now is to continue to serve her business. We're taking a pause on some projects and initiatives, and the social media accounts will be quiet for a while (save for updates on Lindsay). But we're very much at work behind the scenes. Orders will be fulfilled, customer service emails will be answered.
As we have been for months, we're grateful to be in the position to serve her customers which—in turn—serves Dugan and Lindsay and their family.
A few weeks ago, Lindsay lettered this quote from Frederich Buechner:
"Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid."
This piece was scheduled to be released with the rest of Lindsay's beautiful new Spring collection, but you might see it in the shop a little sooner. They're words we personally want in front of us as we pray, process, and wait—fully confident that beauty will have the final word in this situation.
The rest of that quote goes:
"The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are, because the party wouldn't have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us ... I love you. There's only one catch. Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you'll reach out and take it. Maybe being able to reach out and take it is a gift too."
With love & gratitude,
Joy & Team
P.S. We'll do our best to keep everyone updated, but you can follow Dugan on Instagram for the most up-to-date updates.
