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Dear Friends,
I've started this page to help raise money for my beautiful, awe-inspiring mother, who will be undergoing open heart surgery later this month.
During a routine physical in early September, doctors at Kaiser Permanente Palo Alto, discovered that she has a bicuspid aortic valve or a valve in her heart that only has 2 leaflets – or cusps – instead of the normal 3. This congenital heart defect affects between 1 and 2 percent of the population.
Typically, the aortic valve regulates the flow of blood from the heart’s left ventricle into the aorta, which in turn carries blood from the heart to the body. The aortic valve opens to allow blood to flow into the aorta when the heart pumps, and it closes to prevent blood from flowing back into the heart between beats.
With only 2 cusps instead of 3, the bicuspid aortic valve won't close securely. Though this may cause no symptoms for many years, serious complications often develop over time, as it did with my mother. In order to strengthen the heart and prevent stroke or heart attack, replacement of the valve is required via open heart surgery.
At the end of this month I will return to California to be her emotional and physical support throughout the surgery and recovery. My priority is to take care of her post surgery, which evidently will be my full-time job for the next 3-4 months, as she fully rests. That said, it is essential that we develop a nest egg to help pay for outrageously expensive post surgery medicine, medical bills, groceries, gas, utilities, and other unexpected costs.
My family would be so grateful for whatever amount of generous support you could share. Every amount helps to ease the alarming costs a procedure and recovery like this one requires. Your generosity will be forever appreciated!
More about Irene (my mama): This silly and hilarious woman loves making jokes and playing innocent tricks. She is the type of person who picks up on the smallest details when meeting a person, example: if you happen to mention in conversation in front of her that you love wildflowers, she will bring some for you at your next meeting. She loves food of all kinds but absolutely detests vegetables in smoothies and hilariously believes wheat bread to be "the antichrist". If anyone is in the SF area, please stop by our home post surgery for a nightcap as she makes kick ass martinis! I hope the pictures I've shared of my other half bring you laughter and joy - she is the authority on generosity and unconditional love.
Thank you,
Corinna
I've started this page to help raise money for my beautiful, awe-inspiring mother, who will be undergoing open heart surgery later this month.
During a routine physical in early September, doctors at Kaiser Permanente Palo Alto, discovered that she has a bicuspid aortic valve or a valve in her heart that only has 2 leaflets – or cusps – instead of the normal 3. This congenital heart defect affects between 1 and 2 percent of the population.
Typically, the aortic valve regulates the flow of blood from the heart’s left ventricle into the aorta, which in turn carries blood from the heart to the body. The aortic valve opens to allow blood to flow into the aorta when the heart pumps, and it closes to prevent blood from flowing back into the heart between beats.
With only 2 cusps instead of 3, the bicuspid aortic valve won't close securely. Though this may cause no symptoms for many years, serious complications often develop over time, as it did with my mother. In order to strengthen the heart and prevent stroke or heart attack, replacement of the valve is required via open heart surgery.
At the end of this month I will return to California to be her emotional and physical support throughout the surgery and recovery. My priority is to take care of her post surgery, which evidently will be my full-time job for the next 3-4 months, as she fully rests. That said, it is essential that we develop a nest egg to help pay for outrageously expensive post surgery medicine, medical bills, groceries, gas, utilities, and other unexpected costs.
My family would be so grateful for whatever amount of generous support you could share. Every amount helps to ease the alarming costs a procedure and recovery like this one requires. Your generosity will be forever appreciated!
More about Irene (my mama): This silly and hilarious woman loves making jokes and playing innocent tricks. She is the type of person who picks up on the smallest details when meeting a person, example: if you happen to mention in conversation in front of her that you love wildflowers, she will bring some for you at your next meeting. She loves food of all kinds but absolutely detests vegetables in smoothies and hilariously believes wheat bread to be "the antichrist". If anyone is in the SF area, please stop by our home post surgery for a nightcap as she makes kick ass martinis! I hope the pictures I've shared of my other half bring you laughter and joy - she is the authority on generosity and unconditional love.
Thank you,
Corinna