April 28th my mom, Kathy Noack, went in for a scheduled aortic valve replacement. It was open heart surgery but a fairly routine surgery. She got out of surgery and everything went well they said and she started to wake up that evening and was even extubated. The next day our world came crashing down when they discovered something was wrong. Her right ventricle became blocked sometime after surgery and had not been getting blood for quite some time. They rushed her back down to surgery level, cleared the blockage and put a stent in.

By the time they discovered the blockage the damage had been done. She had a machine placed for a few days to pump blood in her heart, she had liver and kidney failure and was sedated and put back on the ventilator- which she stayed on for 13 days straight. It was a rollercoaster to say the least, a few steps forward and a few steps back. But on 5/11(Mothers Day) she was taken off the ventilator! She is continuing dialysis as her kidney function has not yet returned. She is still in the hospital but will be transferred to a long term rehab facility shortly.

If you know my mom you know she is absolutely amazing. She is determined, she is a fighter and she does it all with grace! She is still continuing to smile through it all somehow and we are so thankful she is with us and progressing.

Along with it being emotionally, mentally & physically exhausting for everyone involved, her husband, Greg, has been there by her side EVERY SINGLE DAY! Besides the drive back and forth to Lansing, he has not been able to work as he’s been at her bedside. I am hoping to raise money to lift some of the financial burden of not working (and hopefully being able to continue to take time off to care for my mom) and not to mention the medical expenses to come.

Any little bit will help to allow my mom and Greg to focus on her healing and not the financial strain! My mom wants me to thank you all for praying for her and your thoughts and well wishes on her recovery.