Katlyn Genovese Recovery Fund

On Tuesday Katie was home with us and kept saying she wasn’t feeling well and wasn’t feeling like herself. She couldn’t stop dozing off and she said she felt confused and couldn’t concentrate. She went to school Wednesday morning  but felt as though what she was reading and writing didn't make any sense.  After school she was driving to the hospital for an appointment she already had scheduled for something else, (unrelated) and we encouraged her to stop by the ER first since her symptoms were progressing. She coughed and her eye started twitching, half her face went numb, and she had some other very odd sensations, along with more confusion and a headache. At first the ER nurses dismissed it as anxiety, and were trying to send her home. Obviously, that was unacceptable, and we insisted she stay until she was seen by a physician and had some tests run. Sure enough, after enough pushing, they did an MRI of the head and found that she had a large bleeding aneurysm on the left side of her brain. They determined this occurred because she was born with a rare condition called AVM, which none of us were ever aware of, and when she coughed, it caused it to rupture and bleed, causing her to suffer a hemorrhagic stroke. They rushed her by ambulance to another hospital to undergo emergency brain surgery. They completed one portion of the surgery on Wednesday night, by way of an angiogram, and on Thursday morning she had a ten hour long open brain surgery. She spent a few days in the ICU, a few days in the neuro-stepdown unit, and she is now staying at the in-patient stroke rehab facility where she will be working diligently with physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists six days a week.  She is a miracle. People typically don’t survive what she has gone through, and her strength, beautiful spirit, and will to succeed has already expedited her recovery time. She continues to amaze her medical staff, family, and friends daily with her astounding progress. We couldn’t be more grateful that she is here with us and recovering. She’s stronger than I could have ever imagined. This fund has been set up by those who love and care for her, as a way to help her get back on her feet. Katlyn is a full-time student, as well as an employee of a funeral home, where she has a positive impact on the lives of others every day. She has always aspired to become a funeral director and she has a true gift in this area. Her beautiful and compassionate heart gives peace and comfort to so many people in the hardest times of their lives, and having to step away from school and work during this time of recovery has been hard for her. Katlyn is truly one of the most selfless and caring people I have ever known, and it has warmed the hearts of her family this week to see how many lives she has touched. Each of you have asked daily how she is doing, and how you can help her when she needs it most. She is blessed to have the love and concern of each of you. Your prayers and messages of encouragement have meant the world to her, and we know that God, some very gifted physicians, and Katie’s tenacity have brought her to where she is today. Katie never asks for anything, and always gives so much, so in this difficult time, we are asking for any donations you are able to give to make this time of recovery an easier one for her. Her determination is admirable and she plans on returning to school and work as soon as possible. She is not one to let something difficult stand in the way of her dreams and goals, and your continued support will greatly help her on this journey. Our hearts are so full and so grateful to have our incredible and beautiful little Katie still here with us today. Thank you in advance for your generosity and your continued thoughts and prayers. Love, Katie's fan club xoxo