DES MOINES, Iowa —

Dowling Catholic senior Lauren McCoy is spending a part of this holiday season sharing her gratitude for the Blank Children’s Hospital team that got her back on her feet earlier this year.

During a 40-day hospital stay that began in January, McCoy was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome. It’s an autoimmune condition that affects the nerves.

The 17-year-old says she had just finished her travel soccer season and was preparing for track. It was on Jan. 8, when she was taken to Blank Children’s Hospital for muscle pains and her hands and feet feeling like they were asleep.

“I went to the Blank ER that night, and I ended up in the PICU on a ventilator,” said McCoy, who shared she remained on it for the entire 40 days she was at the hospital.

Her family and friends st

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