Kimmi and Ryan’s medical support

Hi my name is Ashlyn Games and I’m reaching out to friends and family to help support my oldest brother Ryan Merenda, his wife Kimmi Merenda, their daughter Luna and son Jude.

A couple years ago, my brother Ryan was diagnosed with Afib which is a heart condition that causes irregular and rapid heart movements. He has undergone multiple ablations and cardioversions that haven’t been successful. This condition can lead to a stroke and a heart attack if not properly treated and especially if stress levels are high.

His wife Kimmi Merenda has been in and out of hospitals since she was an infant. Kimmi was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis which is a chronic condition that affects lungs, digestive and immune system. Not only does she suffer from CF but she has had many other major surgeries but most recently a new major event has happened.

On February 2, 2024 while visiting her best friend Marie in Boston around 8pm- Kimmi had a seizure lasting 3 minutes and was resuscitated by her best friend Marie. She was rushed to the ER and spent the night while Marie stayed by her side. Hours later at the ER, she had a second seizure overnight. That morning the ER doctor thought she was doing well and was ready to discharge her- but before she was able to leave she suffered from a third seizure. She was then transferred to Mass General Hospital in the neurosciences ICU where she spent the next 3 nights being monitored. After running various tests- everything came back negative and no direct cause could be found for having these seizures.

As a result, Kimmi will not be able to drive for at least 6 months. Ryan and Kimmi have 2 children Luna and Jude ages 12 and 16. Their daughter Luna who is 16 has autism and is working towards getting her license but she won’t finalize the driving tests for at least another year. Luna and Jude have Crohn's disease which requires infusions every 5 weeks. They live in Wilmington, NC but have to travel 2.5 hours to Chapel Hill in order to receive their medical treatment.

My brother Ryan is the sole provider for their family and all their expenses working 2 full time jobs. He now is left with taking care of everything including all the driving for daily activities, him and kim’s doctor’s appointments as well as their kids infusions 2.5 hours away. One of his jobs cut his hours back but now he doesn’t have the time to work as often anyway because he is left with the responsibility of being the only driver.

My brother and Kimmi have never been ones to ask for help but as a concerned sister as well as aunt- I'm asking for help on their behalf. I’m worried about my brother's heart health especially now as he will be taking on all this added pressure and responsibility to provide 100% for his wife and children. My wish is to relieve some of the financial burden from my brother as it can be heavy on his health mentally and physically.

Please consider donating any amount you can spare as all donations will be given to my brother to cover the cost of numerous outstanding medical bills, transportation, and other expenses they have had and will have going forward as a result of all of this.

Ashlyn