<div>UPDATE: Surgery Was a Success — And I'm Playing Again!
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<div>The surgery is behind me, but the journey isn't quite complete — some bills are still outstanding, and I'm reaching out one final time to ask for your help closing it.
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<div>Thanks to your extraordinary generosity, I made it to London, I had the surgery, and I came out the other side. And the best part came when I picked up my saxophone afterward.
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<div>I can't fully put into words what that moment felt like. There's a freedom in my playing now that I didn't even know I was missing. Every note feels like a gift. It's not just a new lease on life - it's a new relationship with the music that sits at the very core of who I am.
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<div>None of this would have been possible without each and every one of you.
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<div>If you've already given, please consider sharing this campaign with one more person. If you've been thinking about contributing, now is the moment. You helped give a musician his second chance. Help us bring this chapter to a complete and peaceful close.
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<div>Thanks from the bottom of my heart and from the top of a very well-supported aorta!
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<div>With love and endless gratitude,
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<div>Nick
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<div>My name is Nick Bisesi, and I’m a lifelong musician and educator. Many of you know me as a saxophonist — it’s been my passion and career for as long as I can remember. I’ve played with Ray Charles, Ramsey Lewis, and countless others, as well as with my own ensembles. I have a Grammy nomination and a top four billboard charting composition with Ramsey Lewis’ Urban Knights. I’ve always lived a healthy, active life — running 15 miles a week, working out regularly, and feeling great. So it was a huge shock to learn recently that I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve, a condition where the heart valve has two flaps instead of three.
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<div>Unfortunately, over time, the more forceful blood flow caused my ascending aorta (the main artery leaving the heart) to enlarge, forming an aortic aneurysm. If left untreated, this could lead to a sudden and fatal rupture — something that could happen at any time.
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<div>Despite feeling healthy, I’m living with a ticking time bomb in my chest.
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<div>The good news is there’s a highly specialized, proven procedure called PEARS (Personalized External Aortic Root Support) that can fix this problem permanently — without replacing my valve or requiring lifelong medication. The surgery uses a custom 3D-printed surgical mesh designed from scans of my heart, which is then wrapped around the aorta to stop it from enlarging and strengthen it for life.
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<div>This surgery has been performed safely in the UK and Europe for over 20 years, and my UK surgeon has performed over 400 of these procedures without complication, demonstrating an outstanding track record of success. Unfortunately, this procedure is not available in the United States.
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<div>I’ve spent months appealing to my insurance company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, but they’ve repeatedly denied coverage. And I’m out of time. The reality is that if I want this lifesaving operation, I have to fund it myself.
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<div>The total cost — including surgery, travel, lodging, pre-op care, and lost income during recovery — is about $110,500*. Please don’t be deterred by the large amount required — even if we don’t reach the goal, your donation will still have a very meaningful impact on my outcome and the well-being of my family moving forward. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a meaningful impact toward covering surgery, travel, lodging, and recovery.
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<div>The coolest part about this surgery is that I will be protected for the rest of my life and get to remain fully active and continue to share my music!
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<li>Here’s a video featuring the same surgeon who will be performing my PEARS operation: <a href="https://youtu.be/GU58TTHV_Io" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong><a href="https://youtu.be/GU58TTHV_Io" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://youtu.be/GU58TTHV_Io</a></strong></a>
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<div>For those medical nerds who want more detail, including the science behind the procedure, visit: <a href="https://exstent.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://exstent.com/" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://exstent.com/</a></a>
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<div>This surgery would give me a second chance at a full, healthy life and allow me to continue sharing my music. Without it, I may have to give up playing altogether — ending the career and calling that has defined my life.
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<div>I’m humbly asking for your help — through donations, shares, or even words of encouragement — to make this surgery possible. Every bit of support brings me one step closer to a safe, healthy future.
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<div>Thank you from the bottom of my heart (more accurately, the top!)
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<div>With Love and Gratitude,
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<div>Nick
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<div>*Please note that GoFundMe automatically defaults to adding a tip which goes directly to GoFundMe and not this campaign. It is entirely optional, so be sure to de-select the box or zero it out if you do not wish to tip GoFundME.
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<div>**If you’d like, you can specify in your donation note what you want your contribution to go toward — for example, one plane ticket, a few nights at the specialized recovery hotel adjacent to the hospital, or a week of lost wages. Every bit helps, and even if we don’t reach the full goal, your donation will still have a meaningful impact on my outcome and the well-being of my family.
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<div>Surgery and Related Expenses include:
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<div>PEARS Surgery (UK)	$80,000
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<div>Pre-operative Tests &amp; Care	$6,000
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<div>Plane Ticket (per ticket)	$1,000 × 4 tickets = $4,000
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<div>Specialized Recovery Hotel Adjacent to Hospital (per night)	$500 × 21 nights = $10,500
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<div>Lost Wages (8 weeks)	$10,000
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<div>Total: $110,500
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A Musician’s 2nd Chance: Lifesaving Heart Surgery in London

A Musician’s 2nd Chance: Lifesaving Heart Surgery in London

Still $23,362 to go. Help us build momentum.