- An Idaho girl, Zoe, battles a severe infection after a knee injury.
- Zoe's family seeks prayers as she faces surgery and a long recovery.
- Community support includes fundraisers and messages of encouragement for "Zoe Strong."
SALT LAKE CITY — An Idaho family is pleading for prayers as their daughter recovers at Intermountain Health Primary Children's Hospital after fighting an infection that spread throughout her body.
Zoe is the fourth in her family of six, and at 11 years old, her mom said she is both nurturing and strong.
"Very independent," said Cami Kartchner. "Very much a tomboy."
So it's no surprise that on a Sunday walk nearly a month ago in Idaho Falls, Zoe wanted to try the rope swing after her brother.
"When she went to jump to the other side, her knee just fell into the water and came out," Kartchner said. "I didn't have an inkling of what it was or how it would change our lives."
Zoe wanted to make it to the other side without falling in the water — she tried multiple times until stopping because her knee was cut and bleeding.
"Nobody panicked, we just thought, OK let's get stitches," Kartchner said.
After stitches, though, Zoe's leg continued to swell, and within a few days, doctors decided to surgically remove the infection.
Cami Kartchner said they found an abscess and removed it, but the swelling continued to spread.
"It started to move up her leg, into like, her abdomen," Kartchner said.
Zoe was flown from Idaho Falls to Utah, where the infection spread — her skin was removed from her belly button to her hip.
There was a moment doctors didn't think Zoe would make it.
"They had to give her a whole bunch of blood, more than what a trauma patient from a serious accident would get," said Paul Kartchner, Zoe's dad.
Zoe was put into a medically induced coma for 10 days — that's how she spent her 11th birthday.
Her father said they have a pile of gifts to give her when she starts to feel up to it.
Zoe has been quiet and more reserved, said Cami Kartchner, since doctors brought her out of the coma.
"She starts tearing up just looking out the window, wishing she could be out there," Paul Kartchner said, "wishing she could see fireworks for the Fourth of July."
For nearly three weeks, Zoe has waited, and her family has watched, but this is just the beginning of their stay at the hospital.
Tuesday, the Kartchners said Zoe was to move out of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. She would then settle in for the beginning of a long road to recovery.
Paul Kartchner said Zoe will go in for surgery on Thursday to start skin grafts covering her exposed muscles from her ankle to her belly button.
Doctors haven't given the Kartchners any timelines for when Zoe can expect to walk, run or go back to life as she knew it.
In the meantime, communities from Idaho to Utah have sent prayers and messages of love: "Zoe Strong."
"I want Zoe to know how many people love her," Cami Kartchner said. "I don't ever want her to go a day in her life without knowing how many people care about her."
A boys' soccer team from Idaho Falls played at the Ogden Peaks Tournament sporting "Zoe Strong" headbands.
Others have organized blood drives, T-shirt fundraisers, donation boxes at local restaurants and water bottle stickers supporting Zoe.
The Kartchners said they're not sure what medical expenses will look like, but they aren't worried.
Paul Kartchner even told KSL-TV their family is asking for prayers and faith for Zoe's recovery instead of donations.
"The thing we feel has been the most help is people's thoughts and prayers," he said.
