How COVID-19 was a Gift for One Young Woman....

ahealingjourney
Oct 26, 2021
8 min read

Updated: Apr 22, 2024

... and gave her the best year of her life.

It all started when she was 11 years old. Mandi Browning told her Mom that she felt her heart beating oddly. Her mother, Laurie Cavaliere, now a single Mom of four adult children (including the daughter of a former boyfriend whom she later adopted), and currently raising and parenting her two granddaughters, 6 and 9 years old, says she remembers that day clearly. Mandi was seated -yet her heart was beating so hard in her little chest that it was visibly moving her shirt with each and every beat. That's when Mandi was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia, in her case a chronic condition where the faulty electric connections in the heart set off early beats in the atria causing a faster-than-normal heart rate. But that was only the beginning of a long and arduous health journey. Doctors had very little explanation for some of the issues that were arising, and various diagnoses were given along the way. Mandi was prescribed heart medication for her condition but soon developed other symptoms. Her fingernails and lips started to look blue. Doctors believed the medications she was on, which were harsh on the lungs and seemed to be causing infections, might have contributed. Yet the medications they prescribed for the lung condition made her heart beat at 300bpm. After Mandi developed pancreatitis, despite repeated sweat tests coming up negative, doctors started to suspect Mandi might have Cystic Fibrosis. (People with CF emit large amounts of salt in their sweat). Eventually, a DNA test revealed a polymorphism on the CFTR gene, and Mandi was finally diagnosed with atypical Cystic Fibrosis. At the tender age of 12 years, Mandi was told she would likely only live to be 20.

Over the years the treatments included more frequent and lengthier hospitalizations, intubations, and steroids, to name a few, and at one point it was determined that one of her doctors seriously over-prescribed steroids, resulting in AFB ( Acid-fast bacillus), a type of bacteria that causes tuberculosis and certain other infections – leading to a serious infection in her IV port. As a result of the overload of steroid meds, Mandi's veins were shot, she quickly rose to 350 lbs and was retaining so much fluid that doctors thought she wouldn't survive. Her heart was at risk of failing. But somehow, Mandi survived.

Fours years ago Mandi started being treated with IVIG when it was discovered she actually also had an autoimmune disease. Despite the odds, and in part due to her positivity and determination, Mandi entered her 30's, but she was now living with a constant need for oxygen. At the age of 34 Mandi needed to have shunts placed to release the pressure of fluid that could no longer drain correctly around her brain. Mandi's world had become increasingly restrictive due to the necessity for oxygen, the weight gain due to her steroid treatments, and the risk of possible viral or bacterial infections. Financially, things were very difficult. Mandi lived at home and could no longer work, or drive. The mounting expenses, hospitalizations, and time Laurie needed to take off from work to drive Mandi to all of the medical treatments and interventions, not to mention being a single mother with no outside support, led to considerable stress. But you would never have known it. If you knew Mandi personally, encountered her on her frequent trips for medical care, treated her in the hospital, or followed her on social media, you would see very quickly that this was not a woman who was going to let this keep her down. Mandi was often a bringer of light to those who were suffering or down. She posted (and preached) positive memes, journaled and practiced gratitude, and made it a point to share her philosophy of gratitude and appreciation with everyone, and especially her young nieces. She taught them how to use an “emotions” chart to learn to identify and safely express their emotions, and enjoyed teaching them about how fortunate most of us in this country are – that there are places in the world where children don't have nice homes, toys, clean water to drink or enough food to eat.

Even though she never stepped foot into a yoga studio, Mandi was the ultimate yoga practitioner in my mind. She was keenly aware of how important it was to live in the moment. To be present. She understood that living in the past would only rob her of her present - and that the future was promised to no one. Despite offers of support from others in the medical community, she even refused to file suit against the physician who over-prescribed the steroids, choosing instead to report the incident only to prevent anyone else from suffering her fate. She practiced breathing and meditation and listened to Guided Imagery to help calm, heal and focus her. She started a Facebook group in June of 2017 named Project O.R.A.O. K., "One Random Act Of Kindness", as a platform to encourage others to share a bracelet, left somewhere anonymously, in the hopes that the finder would post where they located it, and perhaps share their own Act of Kindness. Any Act of Kindness, of course, was encouraged. Though I did not see a lot of activity in her group, I know firsthand that Mandi continued to churn out bracelets to spread some happiness in the world.

Enter COVID-19. As the spring of 2020 arrived, with it an even more dire threat to Mandi's health. Now it was not only a danger to her health to leave the house during her more challenging periods, but it was a risk to have anyone coming and going in the house as well. Laurie was employed as a Home Inspector and worked many evenings and weekends at a convenience store, which had her in direct contact with large volumes of people. Laurie's granddaughters were now staying at their home more often than not but were initially out and about with their father and, of course, attending school, until the lockdowns. Laurie applied for training to become Mandi's home health provider, which not only allowed her to minimize the number of health providers in their home, but to earn her paycheck at Mandi's side. The girls were now expected to do virtual school, and at that point, they moved in full-time. This reduced the COVID risk substantially, although I imagine not the anxiety that any of us were experiencing at that time. Just one visit to a hospital, one trip to the grocery store, could mean almost certain disaster for Mandi. But, Mandi had a different opinion. Her 35th birthday came and went. There was no big birthday bash, no going out for a special treat: but there was an opportunity to celebrate her birthday with a “drive-by”. Friends dropped gifts or cards as they beeped, waved signs and balloons, and drove by their home. More importantly for Mandi, she was home for this birthday. Too many other birthdays and holidays had been spent in the hospital, or sick at home, where she was not able to be surrounded by family. Now she awoke each day to a house with the sounds of children – something she had always wanted but knew she probably would never have – and the hustle and bustle of two young girls joined by the family dog, Kion. Laurie, too, would usually have been working as much as was possible around all of the other things she needed to do to help Mandi: the morning ritual of ensuring Mandi got all of her medications, and breakfast, and ferried to planned (and often emergency) visits to the doctors or the hospital, not to mention helping to raise and shuttle two young girls. But not this year. This year they celebrated Easter, Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Together. At home. Mandi was excited to be able to help her nieces with their school work since they were still homeschooling. At one point, noting all of the changes COVID-19 wrought - opportunities to be with the family she would never have otherwise had, and often didn't have prior - Mandi told her mother: “This has been the best year of my life.” THAT was Mandi. Always seeing the light in the darkness. Finding the good even during this pandemic. That was the first time Mandi shared that sentiment, but it wouldn't be her last.

On the morning of July 28, 2021, Laurie awoke to find Mandi in the bathroom trying to put rolls of toilet paper into the toilet - and not wearing her oxygen mask. Though Mandi had been suffering some GI issues the night before, her health was otherwise stable. A day prior the visiting nurse had just said Mandi was doing the best he had seen. Laurie immediately knew what was wrong. Situations like this had happened in the past when Mandi's “carbons” would end up out-of-whack, indicating her oxygen intake needed to be adjusted. A person could end up confused, even combative, and the struggle to get oxygen levels adjusted may be compounded by their resistance. Laurie described it as trying to deal with a drunk. She was finally able to calm Mandi and get her oxygen mask back on, encouraging Mandi to rest on the sofa, her head in Laurie's lap, while Laurie stroked her hair and kept her calm. But it was taking longer than usual to see things turn around. Increasing her oxygen wasn't helping. It was looking like they were going to need intervention. She called her son for help with the girls and started gathering medical information for yet another trip to the hospital. The paramedics arrived, but things started to unravel quickly, so quickly. Mandi likely passed as they were trying to get her loaded into the ambulance. There were CPR efforts, but the paramedics and doctors were unable to help this time. Mandi was gone. But in true Mandi fashion, even in her passing, Mandi left a legacy. Her Project O.R.A.O.K Facebook group still exists, and so do many of the bracelets she started but didn't get an opportunity to finish. It is my intention that they find their home. She left behind her journals, and all of her encouraging words and memes, and so, so many people who she has touched through social media. Two little girls have learned more in their last years with her than many kids learn in a lifetime about kindness, charity, mindfulness, awareness – and determination - and gratitude. If circumstances had been different, she would have been a wonderful yoga teacher. It occurs to me, in some circles, she already was. Mandi had a really good role model in her mother, and her grandmother. Two very strong women who, when things got rough, would give you what you needed, whether that was to pick you (and themselves) up or give you a piece of their mind – but would also give the shirt off their back to help others. And she left her beautiful smile. When Mandi left this earth, she left it with a countenance of peacefulness - and a smile- on her face.

If you'd like to learn more about Mandi's Project, or share some kindness of your own, visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/220657471785707/permalink/220662358451885