Help for Wendy & Ambiorix Almonte

Hi, my name is Liz Martell and on September 8, 2022, our brother and nephews’ lives changed forever. Being a private person, our brother did not want to share the burdens of their lives. After all this time and carrying the stress on his shoulders, we begged him to let us help.

On that horrible day, his wife Wendy suffered a grade 5 ruptured intracranial aneurysm.

Wendy’s Journey: Five days before collapsing, Wendy told her husband she felt a pop in her head but has suffered from severe migraines and high blood pressure all her adult life, she just powered through it thinking it was nothing out of the norm. Tragically, that was not the case.

Wendy was rushed to the hospital directly to the SICU in a coma. In the first 2 weeks, she endured 3 brain surgeries. She remained in an induced coma for another 3 weeks while the doctors waited for the swelling and bleeding to reduce. After multiple brain and other invasive surgeries, and another month in the hospital, Wendy was moved to Kessler for rehab. While there she made amazing progress. All of us were grateful for the miracle. Her therapies were going well, and the doctor was considering removing her feeding tube. Sadly, the Wednesday before Christmas she stopped responding to therapy, by Friday she stopped eating and talking, and on Christmas Eve she was rushed back to the hospital with convulsions and a blood oxygen level of only 45. She was admitted back to ICU on a ventilator. She remained there for another month before being transferred back to rehab where she is once again starting from zero and showing slow signs of progress.

Despite treatment, mortality and severe disability remain high. Wendy may never be able to go home again as she will need 24/7 care. This means that once she’s out of the hospital and can complete her extensive rehab, she will need to be moved to a long-term care facility. While we are all realistic about the prognosis, we remain hopeful and faithful that she will be granted a miracle and able to return to her husband and sons.

On top of all of this, disaster struck again and this time with our brother. Last Sunday, February 12 while helping move some equipment, a stage platform fell on him and broke his leg. He is now in the same hospital his wife spent so many terrible months in awaiting surgery for a fractured tibia. As you can imagine his pain is extreme and excruciating as his leg is being held together by bolts while he heals enough to have pins and plates implanted.

We are asking for support as the family braves the unimaginable and all the associated medical costs they are incurring with a 5-month hospital stay, lifesaving medical care and ongoing rehab.

We hope to raise $250k and whether you spread the word of this fundraiser and/or contribute yourself, please know you are helping Wendy, Ambiorix and their boys immensely. Please keep them and the family in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for your love and support.