When she was a child, IBEW 1245 member Amy Fedele was diagnosed with Gallium-Barre Syndrome (GBS), a rare neurological disease that would infect her immune system. Sister Fedele was under the impression that her struggles with GBS were a thing of the past, but that changed on October 5, 2023.
Feeling similar GBS symptoms to those that she experienced in her youth including headaches, fatigue, and tingling in her tongue and legs, Fedele rushed herself to the emergency room.
Hours later, she fell into a coma, caused by a rare form of GBS called Bickerstaff Encephalitis, a disorder that affected her brain stem, causing inflammation.
Fedele was in a coma for 20 days
For the next twenty days, Fedele was intubated as family waited to hear updates on her health, eventually responding to the Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment.
When she finally woke up, her life was completely altered. “My eyes were crossed, I couldn’t walk or eat. I had to be fed through a tube,” she recalled. “The doctors said that it would take years to get me back. They weren’t sure if it would ever happen.”
Hearing these words would be enough to make even the most steadfast individual’s spirit waver. But Fedele refused to accept this as an irrefutable truth. Instead, she drew strength and resolve from her faith and the doctor’s words as she fought to regain her health.
Sister Fedele explains what the road to recovery looked like:
“I took my first steps on November 14. December 13, I was discharged from John Muir Hospital. In January, my eyes corrected and I returned to driving. From pretty much January to June I was going to out-patient therapy, relearning how to see, dress, eat, and even walk.”
Little by little, Fedele’s life began to resemble what it looked like prior to October 5.
She cites her faith and community as a source of strength during her challenging rehabilitation.
“Everyone showed up to be of support; my family, friends, church, and work buddies. My team from work came to visit me at the hospital and they’d tell me they’re excited for me to come back.”
Union siblings and colleagues visited Fedele in the hospital
Fedele also received support from her IBEW 1245 family. Family and fellow union member, Jess Lucchese, along with her PG&E team and Business Representatives Nicole Brooks and Kyle Whitman, worked together to set up a vacation sale where PG&E workers could donate their hours.
“To turn around and have that money show up in the mail helped me so much. Instead of being stressed that I needed to be back at work for financial reasons, I was just stressed about wanting to return to work to feel whole again,” Fedele expressed. “When it comes down to it, community is what got me through it, you need community in everything.”
“Sister Fedele went through a sudden, life-altering event that was going to affect her in so many ways. The union is here to fill in the gaps, we lift our brothers and sisters in times of hardship,” said Brooks. “That is the whole meaning and definition of a brotherhood and sisterhood. We are willing to help and do the necessary footwork to help our fellow members.”
Fedele on the job with her colleagues at the Park Fire
Fedele has utmost appreciation for the individuals who donated to her vacation sale and everyone that played a role in supporting her during the road to recovery.
As of July 1, Fedele has returned to her position at PG&E as a Routine Field Clerk. This interview took place shortly after Fedele returned from a work assignment in the Park Fire zone.
–Cole Gerstle, IBEW 1245 Communications Intern