04/15/2026
Here is Tracy's story
On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, Tracy Mjolsness was airlifted from the Rocky Mountain House Health Centre to the Red Deer Regional Hospital. What initially seemed like a simple cold quickly escalated into pneumonia, a severe lung infection, kidney failure, and septic shock. Tracy was placed on life support, put into a medically induced coma, given multiple medications, placed on dialysis, and regularly repositioned to help her lungs and heart function.
The following day, her family learned that she had developed Toxic Shock Syndrome caused by a severe strain of strep throat and the doctors believed they had cleared the infection and began focusing on supporting her organs.
Over the next several days, Tracy showed encouraging signs of improvement. Her swelling reduced, she was taken off dialysis, sedation, and most pain medications. She began attempting to open her eyes and showed small movements in her head, mouth, and leg. Although some of her fingers, toes, and feet were affected by the Toxic Shock Syndrome, doctors remained hopeful they would recover with time.
However, on the night of Tuesday, March 24, 2026, Tracy underwent emergency surgery to amputate both of her legs below the knee due to loss of circulation and tissue death. This was an incredibly difficult decision for her husband Steven and their children, Caleb and Hannah but they made this choice out of love, knowing it was necessary to save her life and what Tracy would have wanted.
Thankfully, the surgery went well. Tracy is currently stable, and her vitals are strong.
She now faces a long and challenging road to recovery. Her life has changed dramatically, and she will need ongoing support as she adjusts to this new reality. Steven, Caleb, and Hannah have been by her side every moment, taking time off work and staying in a hotel in Red Deer to remain close to her. They will also need to make significant modifications to their home to ensure it is accessible for Tracy moving forward.
This is an incredibly kind, loving, and selfless family, and it is heartbreaking to see them go through something like this. The funds raised will go towards lost wages, hotel costs, modifications to their home, medical equipment, travel costs for future medical appointments, and anything else they may need now and in the future. Tracy is the kind of woman who can’t sit still for more than five minutes. She pours her heart into her family and grandchildren, finds joy in gardening, and is always baking or cooking something delicious. She teaches Sunday school and truly shines as a light to everyone around her. Tracy is always eager to help, serve, and lift others up.
