Sixteen-year-old Anna Rexford is, according to this story, a winner. Not only is she the goalkeeper for the two-time state champions West Jessamine High School girls’ soccer team, Anna was named MVP for the tournament two years in a row. After her first season at West Jessamine, she committed to playing for University of Cincinnati and is a contender to play in the Allstate All-America Cup this summer. Clearly, Anna is at the top of her game. But just three short years ago, a harrowing illness made her future uncertain.

Anna Rexford on June 7, 2019. Photo by Mark Cornelison | UKphoto

In July 2016, Anna and her mother Tracy went on a week-long mission trip to Haiti. Tracy is a nurse, and the two spent the week doing health screenings and nutrition programs for children. Anna played with the local children nonstop during that week, challenging them to soccer and leading them in games.

“She gave 110 percent,” said Tracy. “She was always with the kids, playing and giving her whole heart to them.”

Within hours of returning home to Wilmore, Anna began to feel unwell. She had pounding headache and her whole body hurt. Her mother took her temperature. It was a staggering 106.8 degrees.

“I knew, as a nurse, that was almost incompatible with life and that we needed to get help,” said Tracy.

Anna was admitted to Kentucky Children’s Hospital and diagnosed with a rare case of four different strands of E.coli, two of which were toxic. She was showing signs of sepsis, a bacterial infection of the blood, as well as organ failure.

“There was one particular night where I didn’t think she would make it,” said Tracy. “There were some confusing times, questioning God, “‘God, you called a 14-year-old passionate Christian to go and serve, and you want to end it like this? You want to end it where she dies?'”