I’m reaching out to ask for financial support for my incredible sister, Laura, who has a life-threatening genetic condition and is currently in the hospital waiting for a new heart.

Laura has been in the Cardiovascular ICU at the University of Minnesota Medical Center since October 30 and will be there until she can receive a transplant. It’s unclear how long that might take. For now, she’s hooked up to a bunch of machines and monitors. She has a defibrillator implanted under her skin and a balloon pump that is boosting her blood flow.

The average cost of a heart transplant in the United States is $1.6 million. Laura has health insurance, which is great. Less great are the deductible and out-of-pocket expenses. She’s a super hard worker but she can’t work from a hospital bed. Simply put, Laura won’t be making any money for an extended period of time and her medical bills will be substantial.

If you know my sister, you know she is amazing. If you don’t know her, I can vouch for her amazingness. She’s kind, smart, caring, funny and very talented. She’s an incredible painter. She’s also an instructor and assistant director of The Atelier Studio Program of Fine Art in Minneapolis. You should check out her work here on Instagram.

Any amount you can give, big or small, will be truly appreciated and have a huge impact on Laura’s ability to focus on her recovery instead of her bills. Please consider donating and sharing this with your network. Thank you.

Laura’s boyfriend, Aaron, has created a CaringBridge site to keep everyone updated on how she’s doing.