Hello, my name is Ashley Cirillo, and I’m creating this fundraiser on behalf of my sister, Julie. She is not only my sister but my best friend, a beautiful soul, and a constant inspiration to everyone who knows her. I am so proud of her, now and always, and I’m thankful for her every single day.

For over a year, Julie has been fighting through an incredibly difficult and exhausting medical journey. What began as unexplained, severe symptoms has progressed into a health battle that has left her mostly bedridden, unable to work, and living in constant, debilitating pain.

Julie has been diagnosed with two extremely rare vascular compression disorders:

Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome (SMAS)

A rare and debilitating condition in which arteries compress the small intestine, causing severe digestive issues, intense abdominal pain, nausea, and rapid weight loss.

Nutcracker Syndrome (NCS)

A condition where the left renal vein becomes compressed between major arteries, leading to leg, flank, and kidney pain, blood in the urine, impaired blood flow, weight loss, and a range of other complications. Julie has described this pain as inhumane, the most severe and life-altering of her conditions.

Julie’s road to diagnosis was long and emotionally draining. Despite countless visits to doctors, specialists, and emergency rooms, her symptoms remained a mystery. These disorders are notoriously difficult to detect unless you’re in the hands of providers who truly listen and understand the highly specific testing required, testing that often comes with its own insurance battles.

Through sheer perseverance, her nursing background, and her meticulous tracking of symptoms and food logs, Julie finally received answers. She was then able to connect with a specialized NCS team at Temple Hospital in Philadelphia, one of the few centers in the world with expertise in these conditions. Recently, she underwent a renal auto-transplant surgery, and while she initially showed promising progress, she suffered a severe infection that threatened to undo her hard-fought strides.

Thankfully, after another tough climb, Julie is back on a steadier path, but her healing journey is still long, unpredictable, and far from over.

Before her health struggles began, Julie was known for her bright, silly humor, her deep kindness, and the way she could fill any room with warmth and laughter. She is a devoted mother to her 12-year-old son, who absolutely adores her, and a newlywed to her husband, Nick, who has been an unwavering caregiver throughout all of this. Supporting Julie has required him to miss significant time from work and face challenges of his own as he cares for the person he loves most.

Following the announcement of the original pizza fundraiser, many people reached out asking how they could help in other ways. This GoFundMe was created in response to that kindness, to help ease some of the heavy financial strain that comes with rare medical conditions, ongoing treatment, travel for specialized care, and the day-to-day realities of being unable to work.

Thank you for taking the time to read Julie’s story, for caring about her journey, and for being part of the support that keeps her and our family moving forward. Your kindness means more than you could ever know.