32-year-old CRMC doctor dies of stroke days before completing residency

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Dr. Maddie Giegold's adventurous life was cut short suddenly, just five days before completing her residency.

"I've never really met anyone else like her, she's incredibly goofy," said friend Hannah Trautner.

Trautner said Giegold would do anything to make people laugh and inevitably become her friend.

Those closest to Maddie say she loved cats, trail running, sunflowers, but maybe most of all:

"Oh, she loved ice cream," said Trautner.

The 32-year-old spent the past few years as Chief Resident at Community Regional Medical Center through its partnership with UCSF Fresno.

"She was really excited to get to do a lot of things, and she was really excited for this next chapter, and I felt that she and her family were really robbed of that," said Trautner.

Through their grief, Maddie's family and friends filled the hallways of CRMC Sunday for an honor walk celebrating her final act of service with a mountain of sunflowers.

Hundreds more watched the honor walk over Zoom.

"She was able to donate her liver and her kidneys to save some other people's 'Maddies' and that's the thing that gives me peace, that she was able to give other families a gift and I know that would make her so happy," said Trautner.

While Hannah jokes Maddie would be loving all this attention, she says what her friend really loved was being able to bring people together.

The overwhelming love for Maddie on full display in the GoFundMe page created to help her husband and family. It raised more than $100,000 in just four days.

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