We are setting up this fundraiser to help raise money for Victor and Annette Martinelli and their family. Annette is a breast cancer survivor (not once, but twice!) and has been battling various health issues ever since moving to Colorado in 2009. After moving to Colorado, she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which has left her unable to hold a job. A few years later she found a lump in her breast and had surgery to remove and biopsy it. It turned out not to be cancer, but she acquired C. Diff (Clostridium difficile) from her hospital stay. The infection was so severe she ended up in the hospital with sepsis and toxic megacolon and almost lost her life in October 2013.  She somehow pulled through but has never been the same since. She went on to suffer from recurrent C. Diff infections for over a year until she had a procedure done to cure her. Even though she was cured of C. Diff, her gastrointestinal tract was severely damaged and she continues to suffer daily.

Additionally, Annette was born without her adult teeth leading to complications with her dental health. This has resulted in extensive dental work and the need for a very complex procedure with a quote of $20,000. This is on top of the hundreds of thousands of medical bills they have already accrued. Her most recent health concern is anemia due to malabsorption. In June, she was scheduled for a hysterectomy because she is genetically predisposed to ovarian cancer (she is positive for the BRCA gene mutation). She had routine bloodwork done before her surgery and they found her iron, red blood cells, and hemoglobin were dangerously low. She was instructed to go to the emergency room for an immediate blood transfusion. This happened the very same day that Victor got the news he was laid off from his job. As the primary provider for the family, this was devastating news. The Martinelli’s are doing their best to stay strong during this difficult time, but they are in need of any help that their friends and family can provide. We certainly do not expect anything, but anything you can do to help is appreciated more than words can describe. Thank you for taking the time to read this story.