DENVER — A woman from Golden has spent most of her life battling different life-threatening illnesses, including a serious form of lung disease.
Through it all, Morgan Vickers brightens the days of her friends and family, and care team. So when her 28th birthday rolled around, staff at St. Joseph Hospital in Denver came together to throw her a birthday party she'll never forget.
"Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh," said Morgan Vickers.
Walking into the room decorated with birthday balloons and Taylor Swift Eras gear is a welcome sight for Morgan. The party, not a surprise, but for Morgan this event is certainly cause for celebration.
Family, friends and her care team at St. Joseph gathered around, ready to talk Taylor.
Just a few floors away, the walls of Morgan's room pay tribute to Taylor Swift.
"This is the card wall. It gets added to every single day. And it is substantially the probably best gift I've ever received," Morgan said.
Every day, they add to it.
"Yep, everybody brings a friendship bracelet with a card," Morgan said. "We have probably over 100 in here."
On the days the pain gets bad, the cards give Morgan something to look forward to and read every day.
"This year I wanted a bunch of things to remember my friends and family by as I was transitioning from this life to the next," Morgan said.
For nearly two decades, Morgan's faced diseases and life-threatening illnesses. The list stretches long, 38 chronic illnesses in all.
“I have Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, these are only the life-threatening ones by the way, ILD Interstitial Lung Disease, I have Clarkson’s Disease or Capillary Leak Syndrome. I have gastroparesis, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, I have Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Full Body and in my organs. And unfortunately, that one’s normally not life-threatening however because of the nature of the full-body and internal organ involvement, we are life-threatening with that. And those are the life-threatening ones," Morgan said.
The condition of her health is often hard to comprehend.
"Oh yes. Oh yes," Morgan said.
And, it's been getting worse.
Morgan's mom, Leslie Vickers, said this first started when Morgan was 10 years old, with an injury that wouldn't heal and soon after a diagnosis. Over the years, the diagnoses and health challenges just kept coming.
"It's been a 17-year journey. And it's picked up more speed, it's been progressive," Leslie said.
"And those are what are currently, unfortunately causing my untimely death this year," Morgan said.
Despite that dark cloud hanging over her hospital room, Taylor Swift's music is a constant source of light.
"It takes away the heaviness of what is happening in life. And again, puts perspective on that this is just a human being, a wonderful young lady that's in a really tough situation," Leslie said.
Her music carries in a wave of normalcy and often bringing relief, letting Taylor and not Morgan's health take center stage.
"And so we've just started talking about favorite songs and favorite moments," Leslie said.
Her health kept her from catching the Eras tour in person, for her birthday the staff at St. Joseph stepped in to host a viewing of the Eras Tour concert now streaming. That's giving Morgan a chance to watch the tour together with her friends, family, nurses and doctors.
"We are loving every second of this. I'm like so happy I'm crying," Morgan said.
Coming together inside this room turned movie theater, everyone is happy to celebrate this day and every day of Morgan's life.
"Oh my gosh, I love this," Morgan said.
For Morgan, the gift of time, their time spent together with her, means so much.
"Everything. Absolutely everything," Morgan said.
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