Donate to Help Support Mary's Heart Surgery!

Hi everyone! My name is Gabrielle Ferrara and I am a close friend of Mary Schreck. For those of you who know Mary, you know that she is a lot of things - a daughter, a sister, a friend, and an incredibly awesome therapist. But even helpers need help sometimes, and Mary is currently going through a season of life where she needs the help and support that she so readily gives to others each and every day. Please continue reading to learn a little bit about Mary's story and why we are raising these funds. Any amount you can give, big or small, will be graciously accepted and appreciated by Mary and her family. We all have a story about how Mary has shown us her endless compassion and her big heart. Please consider donating, sharing with your network, or just offering Mary a message of support. Most importantly, please keep her in your thoughts as she continues on this journey. You've got this, Mary!!

Mary's Story:

Some of you may not know, but Mary was born with a congenital heart defect (Ventricular Septal Defect) and had to undergo open heart surgery at 18 months old. From that day forward, Mary has lived a normal healthy life without any restrictions.

In October 2022, Mary was diagnosed with severe aortic valve regurgitation and was told that she would need another heart surgery. After meeting with a surgeon, Mary was advised that the best procedure for her would be a surgery called The Ross Procedure. Although this is a rare surgery, it would get her through her “childbearing years” without having to have another surgery and would give her the best chance of having a normal life.

Due to the lack of accredited adult congenital heart surgeons who can complete the Ross Procedure in New Jersey, Mary is being forced to receive care out of state. After months of researching doctors and being denied by her insurance company, Mary has finally found a surgeon and hospital that the insurance company will approve. However, that comes with a high deductible and out-of-pocket maximum.

We all know that it’s a difficult situation - between the cost of healthcare (even when insured) and the stress that can come along with being out of work for an extended period of time. At this point, Mary is faced with paying her medical bills from all the testing done in 2022 and is also now facing the cost of surgery in 2023.

Any surgery involving the heart is a major procedure and one that will be challenging to recover from. While we can't make this any less painful or scary for her, we wanted to try and get our community together to help her cover a fraction of the expenses to give her a bit more peace of mind through all this.

Please consider donating, sharing, or offering support to Mary in whatever way you can. Thank you!