Advocate Profile, Kyla Winters

In the summer of 2009, Kyla suddenly became ill and was rushed to the ER where doctors quickly gave her antibiotics. Doctors confirmed she had bacterial meningitis and told her family she had a 10 percent chance of survival. One complication followed another – respiratory and kidney failure, extremely low blood pressure and several cardiac arrests. Kyla was in the ICU for six weeks and remained in the hospital for almost four months. In order to save her life, doctors amputated both her legs below the knee and all of her fingers.

After leaving the hospital, Kyla’s pregnant twin sister, Liana, moved with her husband and young son to San Diego so they could care for her. Kyla was on dialysis for ten hours every night and had several hand surgeries. In 2010, Kyla received a kidney transplant from Liana. Today, Kyla educates others about meningococcal vaccination and raises awareness about organ donation.