On Saturday afternoon, our family's world changed in an instant when my mom, Leslie Watts, suffered a massive heart attack known as a *widowmaker* while at work.

We are incredibly grateful that she survived. Doctors found a 100% blockage in a major artery supplying her heart, placed a stent, and used an Impella heart pump for several days to help support her through this critical time. After several days in the cardiac care unit, she has now moved to the step-down cardiac unit, and we are thankful that her recovery is progressing. However, she has sustained permanent damage to her heart, and she will need to wear a LifeVest defibrillator for the next several months as she continues to recover.

While we are beyond grateful to still have her with us, the road ahead is going to be long, uncertain, and challenging in ways we are only beginning to understand.

**For those who know Leslie, you know that she is the kind of person who makes everyone feel like family.**

She has always been someone people can turn to for kindness, encouragement, advice, or simply a listening ear. Younger coworkers come to her when they need someone they can trust, and over the years, she has formed special bonds with regular customers and their children, whom she loves as if they were her own family. She has a way of making people feel cared for, welcomed, and loved.

Leslie is a genuinely kind person who would do anything she could to help someone in need, without hesitation or expectation of anything in return. She has spent so much of her life being the person others lean on, and asking for help herself has never come easily.

She is passionate about nature and its preservation, loves photography, enjoys traveling to surrounding states to explore the world around her, and is a devoted Falcons and Braves fan. She loves her family fiercely, and becoming a grandmother has brought her so much joy. Her granddaughter, Emilia, is one of the greatest loves of her life. In the terrifying moments of her heart attack, thinking about her granddaughter was one of the things that helped her hold on.

**Now, our family is asking for help for the woman who has given so much of herself to others.**

Leslie works as a server at a local restaurant and depends on her daily tips to make ends meet. She lives paycheck to paycheck, often relying on what she earns each day to cover her basic needs. When her heart attack happened, she had only just arrived at work.

She was already struggling to keep up with her bills before this happened. Now, doctors have told her she will be unable to work for several months while she recovers, leaving her without the income she depends on to survive.

Without that income, she faces the frightening reality of trying to cover rent, her car payment, car insurance, her phone bill, groceries, medications, doctor visits, and other essential expenses. She currently has no medical insurance or savings to fall back on, and we are working to get her approved for Medicaid while navigating the financial uncertainty that comes with this unexpected medical crisis.

On top of the immediate financial strain, Leslie is facing a significant physical and emotional recovery. Her heart has sustained permanent damage, and we are still waiting to learn more about what that will mean for her long-term health and daily life. For someone who loves being outdoors, exploring nature, traveling, taking photographs, and spending time with the people she loves, the uncertainty of what comes next is especially difficult.

We want Leslie to have the opportunity to focus on healing, following her doctors' guidance, and adjusting to this new chapter without the constant fear of losing her home, her transportation, or the basic necessities she needs to get by.

Our goal is to help cover her essential living expenses over the next several months while she is unable to work, giving her some stability as she recovers and allowing us time to navigate medical assistance and other available resources.

**If you are able to contribute, any amount truly makes a difference.**

How You Can Help:

If you are able to contribute, any amount truly makes a difference. Whether it's a one-time donation, ongoing support over the coming months, or simply sharing this fundraiser with others, every bit of help means so much to our family. Because Leslie's bills and recovery expenses will continue while she is unable to work, recurring donations can be especially helpful in providing some stability during this uncertain time, but there is absolutely no expectation or obligation. Every contribution, in whatever form is right for you, is deeply appreciated.

If Leslie has ever been there for you, offered you kindness when you needed it, made you feel like family, or simply brightened your day, we hope you will consider being there for her now.

She has spent so much of her life caring for others without asking for anything in return. Now, as she faces one of the most frightening and difficult experiences of her life, we want her to know that she is not alone and that there are people who care about her and want to see her through this.

Our greatest wish is for Leslie to have the time, support, and peace of mind she needs to recover and find her footing again. We want her to be able to enjoy the things she loves, make more memories with her family, and watch her granddaughter grow.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for every donation, every share, every kind message, and every bit of love you send her way. Your support means more to our family than words can express. ❤️