iowa teen gets surprise bedroom makeover after battle with rare autoimmune disease
By Ethan Humble
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FORT DODGE, Iowa (KCCI) — One Fort Dodge teen recovering from an autoimmune disease got a surprise bedroom makeover Sunday morning.
After having several high fevers, body aches and constant fatigue last August, Breanna Bethke was diagnosed with a disease called HLH.
According to the CDC, it’s a rare autoimmune disease characterized by impaired function of lymphocytes, which results in an unchecked inflammatory response.
After she was diagnosed, Bethke met with an HLH specialist and had chemotherapy treatments until mid-October.
Since January, she has been stable — not needing any additional treatment unless the HLH-causing virus flares up again.
On Sunday, Bethke got a big surprise making her bedroom a much cozier place to relax.
Kari Swisher is the president of My Happy Place in Fort Dodge. It’s a group that has done about ten room makeovers for adults with serious illnesses in the area.
“It gives people who are ill other things to pay attention to during the time during the makeover, and so I think we’ve made a big difference in a lot of people’s lives,” Swisher said.
After getting nominated by several other Fort Dodge students, Bethke was picked to be the first kid to have a room revamp.
With her own LED fireplace, decked-out vanity and plenty of faith-based signage all around the room, she now has her own dream bedroom.
Kara Ocenasek, a volunteer with My Happy Place, had been designing Bethke’s room for the last two months.
She said after having her own makeover during her breast cancer journey, it means a lot to give back in such a unique way.
“The fact that we can do this for other women, men and children experiencing similar situations is just an amazing feeling, and it’s really a gift,” she said.
And for Bethke, the new room means everything.
“This is awesome,” she said. “It’s amazing. I love it, and I’m really, really thankful.”
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