TULSA, Okla. — The Tulsa Fire Department and Bixby community are rallying support for a firefighter fighting an unknown battle.
For the last year, Emily Loveday’s been in and out of doctors trying to get answers to what she said is a medical nightmare.
This all started at the end of 2023. Since then she said she's been hospitalized for a total of about a month when adding the time together.
"You forget how much your body has been through or how everyday life has just changed so much, but that’s the new norm," said Loveday.
She's lived an extremely active life being involved in the cross-fit community and finding a career in fighting fires. So it came as a shock when her health started to decline.
"I went from being on the truck, you know, being able to do all of the firefighting stuff, still doing CrossFit. Doing everything that I normally do, to needing help. Somedays like washing my hair because my arms hurt," Loveday said.
She posted private updates on her health journey on Facebook every now and then but it wasn't until recently she decided to post a video detailing her year-long battle, that have shared her journey on Facebook – making her last post public.
"But putting all of it into a video and a post was; you forget how much you’ve been through in a year until you see it spread out," said Loveday.
She included numbers of hospital stays, ambulance rides, and her most recent trip to the hospital, which put her on a ventilator.
But the number she said is most impactful is the people who've been by her side.
"It’s incredible how the community can come together over a person going through something," she said.
Loveday's friend was in the room during the interview. She said her strength in using humor as an outlet is inspirational.
"You know, she’s always making jokes about, you know, trying to just live in the moment and not let it put her down, and that’s one thing I admire about her cause she is, she is very strong.
So I’m really proud of her for how she’s carried it all over the last year. Cause I’ve seen it all," Loveday's friend said.
Loveday’s learned a few lessons after her more than 40 doctor visits this year. She said she’s been forced to advocate for her own health.
Trying to find a doctor who can help her even going out of state.
"For world-renowned doctors to be told if there’s nothing wrong with you. They’re nothing medically wrong with you," said Loveday.
But a team in Oklahoma is stepping up. She said she's traveling to OKC often to run tests and figure out what's causing the problems.
"I now have an amazing care team at OU in Oklahoma City," she said.
Her latest issue was being put on a ventilator and induced into a coma. That caused the timeline for the need for answers to speed up.
"So now moving forward is, they’re aware of how bad this situation has gotten. I’ve never been on the ventilator before never gone that far so now it’s kind of put more urgency into it," said Loveday.
She wants people to know it’s okay to speak up for yourself, saying the best advocate for your health is you. That's how she's kept positive with the limited answers she's getting.
Along with the physical challenges she's facing, Loveday said she's getting medical bills without getting medical answers. Those bills are piling up, her friend said.
That's why they are running a raffle and donations to help with the expenses.
If you would like to donate, click here.
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