Kathie Papagianis' Recovery

On Friday December 14th Kathie Papagianis was rushed to St.Marys Hospital. Upon arrival they discovered severe bleeding surrounding the brain. At the request of St.Marys she was transferred to SLU emergency room to provide her with some of the best neurological doctors available. Upon her arrival at SLU it was determined that Kathie was born with a condition called AVM. This is a brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a tangle of abnormal blood vessels connecting arteries and veins in the brain.The arteries are responsible for taking oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the brain. Veins carry the oxygen-depleted blood back to the lungs and heart. A brain AVM disrupts this vital process. After 4 hours of arrival at SLU it was determined that she needed surgery immediately to relieve the pressure on her brain. She underwent a 3 hour surgery. The surgery involved removing a piece of her skull ultimately to relieve the pressure but not fix the AVM.  Her first surgery was very successful. However, after her brain swelling is reduced they will have to perform another surgery  to fix the issue. Sadly, the second surgery is not the end of this long road to recovery. Following the next surgery she will be admitted into an inpatient rehabilitation facility to work towards complete recovery. It is unclear how long this recovery process will actually take. Unfortunately , Kathie leaves at home her fiance,step son and 4 month old baby, Louie. Along with hospital, rehabilitation bills and Kathie unable to work in the foreseeable future leaves her family in a financial hardship. During this holiday season we ask for any donations, whether it is prayers, small donations or baby supplies. Anything is more than appreciated in this family's hard time. We thank you for taking the time to read and share with your friends. Merry Christmas and God Bless.