Over the last month, many kind and generous people have asked how they can support Suzanne Marinelli during her recovery. I've started this GoFundMe to help offset expenses that have already been incurred, and defray future expenses. If you feel moved to contribute, your donation will help us get her home to her beloved Hawaii. Any amount helps!

"What happened?"

On May 20th, while visiting family and friends in Virginia, my grandma Suzanne fell and hit her head. She was admitted to VCU Hospital with three broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a brain bleed; a little over a week later, she had a stroke while still in the ICU. Currently, Suzanne is at a skilled nursing facility doing rehab and recovering. She’s made incredible progress so far, but she has a long journey ahead. More details can be found on our CaringBridge page.

“Who are you, and what are you trying to do?”

My name is Mariarosa and I am Suzanne's eldest granddaughter. In 2023, Suzanne assigned me durable power of attorney in the event that she was incapacitated. Also involved in her recovery are her daughter Victoria Marinelli and her hānai daughter Annalisa Spence.

Our goal is to get Suzanne back to Hawaii, where she's lived for more than 40 years. She wants to go back to living as independently as possible, and her doctors think she will be ready to be released by the end of July. Once she’s able, we are going to fly her home, get her settled back into her apartment, and coordinate in-home care and support services to meet her needs.

"What will my money go toward?"

Because I have power of attorney, I’ve spent nearly the entire past month in Richmond, away from my home and job in Baltimore. So far, my travel and lodging expenses have totaled about $2000. Over the next month, I’ll need to keep driving down periodically, both for appointments and moral support. In order to get her home, I and at least one other family member will fly with her from Richmond to Honolulu. Once there, we will stay for at least a week to ensure a smoother transition. After that, any additional funds will go towards her medical bills and the cost of in-home care services. For transparency, I will share an itemized expense list whenever funds are disbursed.

“How much do you need?”

I’ve set our goal at $10,000. Our most significant and variable expense by far will be airfare, so I’ve also budgeted in a buffer to account for circumstances like her discharge date being delayed. But truly, every dollar makes a difference.

“I can’t afford to contribute monetarily right now. Is there anything else I can do to support Suzanne?”

Absolutely! Here are some other ways to help us:

Thank you for continuing to hold Suzanne in the Light and keeping her in your prayers, and for any contribution you can make to help us get her back to her home. As my grandma would say, mahalo nui loa!