Recovery for Jenny’s Beautiful Mind

On Tuesday, March 22, my sister Jennifer Tomscha suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke as she drove to pick up her son from school near Greytown, NZ. As she started to lose her vision, she quickly pulled her car to the side of the road and called 911, and her quick response on a busy, two-lane highway likely saved both her life and her 3-year-old daughter in the back seat. Paramedics immediately airlifted her by helicopter over the mountain to Wellington for emergency surgery to relieve pressure on her brain. On March 28, after a week in a medically-induced coma, she underwent an epic 29-hour-long surgery to remove a series of AVMs, or arteriovenous malformations, in her brain. AVMs are tangled knots of blood vessels that cross pathways between arteries and veins where that’s not supposed to happen; some people are just born with them, and sometimes, as in Jenny’s case, they burst. She's now resting in the ICU with at least one more surgery coming and a long recovery ahead.

Jenny brings her whole heart to every second of this life, and her infectious joy, deep compassion, and brilliant mind have built her a rich constellation of friends, students, and mentors around the world. From Sioux City to Boston to Montana to Michigan to Shanghai, and now to her new home in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand, we all look to those wicked-bright eyes for wisdom, warmth, and a deep laugh at the absurdity of the world. Our gorgeous writer, restless seeker, devoted mother, sister, daughter, and forever friend: We love you so much! Get better soon!!

Funds raised will be used to cover the cost of a lengthy rehabilitation and her family's ongoing household expenses while she remains unable to continue her PhD at the International Institute of Modern Letters at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. Those who know Jenny know she hates to impose herself on others in the slightest. With our apologies to her strict Midwestern code, we’re sending this out so her people scattered about the world can show her their love and support. When she gets better, she can tell us all off for making such a fuss. :)