Friends seek support for UI student Karen Pohl, 22, in hospital from Monday stroke

Update: Karen Pohl died midday on Saturday in Spokane at Sacred Heart Medical Center.

Update: Karen Pohl was placed on life support Friday evening, according to the blog on her CaringBridge webpage. Her organs will be donated to save the lives of other people.

A young woman from Moscow who suffered a stroke earlier this week is now in need of support from her community.

Karen Pohl, 22, is a University of Idaho senior biology major, a UI student volunteer coordinator and a trainee with the Moscow Volunteer Fire Department's Ambulance Company.

On Monday, Pohl was swimming in the UI pool when she lost focus and started feeling ill. After being transported to Gritman Medical Center via ambulance, hospital staff determined Pohl had suffered a stroke and transferred her to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane.

Two of Pohl's friends, Kate Ball and Devon Giguiere, told the Daily News on Friday that Pohl is still in serious condition, and they are unsure what her recovery will entail. According to a CaringBridge website set up for Pohl, she is in a medically induced coma to reduce swelling and pressure in her brain.

Pohl's friends have established an account at Wells Fargo so well-wishers can donate money toward the cost of her medical bills. They're also working on establishing a PayPal account to collect donations from people who don't live near a Wells Fargo branch.

Ball and Giguiere said they hope the Moscow and UI community will come together to support Pohl, who in good health donated much of her time to help people in need. She enthusiastically went on ambulance calls and was eager to learn about becoming a first responder, Ball said.

In addition to her training with the ambulance company, Pohl is a student coordinator at the Associated Students of the UI Center for Volunteerism and Social Action, where she has led students on service-learning trips to Mississippi, Louisiana, Arizona and Costa Rica.

Ball and Giguiere said Pohl is studying to eventually become a doctor, but she is also considering alternative service paths like Teach for America and the Peace Corps.

They said Pohl, originally from Ridgefield, Wash., has made helping and serving others the focus of her life.

For information about Pohl's recovery, visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/karenpohl. Donations may be made in her name at any Wells Fargo branch.