Betty’s Story

Site created on July 27, 2023

Just after the fourth of July, Betty started getting really sick and having a lot of pain into her back. She had a lot of nausea and just not feeling good. This has been a little bit of a "normal" since her stroke and stay in Duluth in 2021. The pain began to increase and get worse and symptoms began to increase to more than what has been going on. ' Betty was rushed to Grand Itasca Hospital ER in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, where they very quickly learned that her Aortic Artery had ruptured, Your Aortic Artery runs all the way from your Aortic Valve in your heart, down through your abdomen, and splits just above your groin where it joins with your femoral arteries. She was immediately life lighted to U of MN in Edina Minnesota for further Care. On July 8th, 2023, she was taken into emergency surgery to have a stent put in her left groin/hip to save her leg. When the artery ruptured, it ruptured down lower into her groin area and it completely shredded. Because of this, her leg was not getting enough blood flow, and the reason for the stent. She was in ICU for about a week when she was transferred to a "normal" room. As of Friday, July 21st, their plan was to look at transferring her possibly, to another facility for rehab and healing, pending that all continues to go well with her healing there. Fast forward to July 25th, Betty started having internal bleeding in her left hip where her artery ruptured and the stent was put in. She was not feeling well at all and her care team immediately got her the help she needed. She was put back in ICU, where she is now, and intubated and sedated. Her INR (a test that checks the thickness of your blood) was really low so they gave her plasma and lowered her blood thinners as well. She is 4 hours away from her kids and home. Her closest relative is her niece, me, Kendra, and I am just over an hour from her. She needs all the prayer and support she can get right now. I will be planning on going to see her a minimum of once a week while she is down here. If they decide not to move her back up to Duluth for Rehab, and she stays closer to me, my plan is to visit her there as often as I can as well and try and keep you all posted. Matt, her youngest son, and I figured this would be the best way for us to communicate to the masses and all those that love and care about her. If you leave any messages for her, we will be sure to make sure that they are read to her and she gets to hear them and hear your love as well. We thank you all for the continued prayers for her. She is a loved woman by many. Keep her 4 kids in your prayers as well as they navigate this journey with her.

Newest Update

Celebration of Life

Journal entry by Kendra Osterbur —

We invite you all to a Celebration of Life Worship Service for Betty on Sunday September 3, 2023.
It will take place at Triumphant Life Church, 
1307 Co Rd 440
Bovey l MN 55709

You are welcome to come to church before the service, there is a potluck right after the service that starts about 12/12:30 pm. 
This is a very special weekend as this is the "Mass Exodus" we celebrate every year for the past 30 plus years as a family. 4 families all moved out to Minnesota from California this weekend, and we always celebrate with a potluck so it all fits so perfect! 
If you would like to bring a dish to share you may. 
Food will start around 12/12:30pm if you would like to come for food and the service. 
The actual Celebration of Life service will take place around 1/1:30pm when we are done eating. 
This will be a time to celebrate Bettys life and her love for Jesus through worship lead by family and memories shared by friends and family alike. 
We ask that you PLEASE wear PURPLE or other BRIGHT colors as Bettys favorite color is purple and she would love that we honor her with color and not black. It is a day to celebrate and rejoice she is with Jesus! 
We hope to see all Bettys friends and family there at the Celebration. 
If you have any questions you can for sure reach out to me, Kendra, at 218-256-9167. 
Thank you so much for all your love and support for the family! We will keep any updates posted here as time approaches. 
Read More of the journal titled "Celebration of Life"
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