Rally for Lilli after Emergency Brain Surgery

On the morning of July 18th, in the blink of an eye, our world was turned inside out. Our sweet, sassy girl Lilliana suffered a sudden, unexpected brain bleed. Lilli was rushed to Central DuPage Hospital and shortly after airlifted to Lurie's. Within a few short hours of the initial call to 911, Lilli was in emergency brain surgery to stop the bleed and save her life.

A team of some of the best doctors in the world performed a craniotomy with hematoma evacuation. During the surgery, it was discovered that Lilliana had an AVM, arteriovenous malformation, a rare vascular formation in the brain.

The surgery went well, and her early signs of recovery are very promising. She is responding to touch, squeezing hands, moving her legs, and has even attempted to pull out her breathing tube. Neurology saw signs of sleep activity, which is a positive sign of normal brain function.

Lilli is scheduled for an angiogram within the next day or so which will determine what her next surgery will be to repair the AVM. Our girl is expected to remain in the ICU for the next 4-6 weeks.

As Lilli fights towards recovery, we would love to ease whatever burdens we can for the Valentino family. Due to limitations and hospital safety guidelines, please don't send flowers or large deliveries. If you are able to show your support to our girl and her family during this incredibly challenging time, please donate here or send gift cards to help with daily essentials and meals. If you are able to help and prefer to send a gift card, here are some helpful options:

Target, Walmart, Amazon, DoorDash, Uber Eats. You may email them to Viviana.

Every little bit truly makes a difference. Thank you for your kindness, love, and support while we all rally behind our girl's road to recovery.

We will use this page to post updates. Thank you to all!