Sue Chamberlain was born in Chicago and raised in Oak Lawn, Illinois. After falling in love with and marrying the boy nextdoor, Ray,  they moved to Alsip, Illinois. They spent the next 20 years there raising their two kids Chris and Kate with mostly Ray working and her as a stay at home mom with the occasional job here and there, her family was her everything.  As her kids started to develop familes of their own, Sue and Ray moved to Manteno, Illinois where they have been for the past 10 years. With five grandchildren in ages ranging from 7 to 15, two cats and a dog, she had much to be grateful for.
On April 11, 2015, late afternoon, Ray answered a call from Sue while at a Costco, asked to call her back as he was at the checkout. When he called her back ten minutes later, there was no answer causing concern. When he arrived home, he found Sue sitting up on the bathroom floor. Her eyes were open but she was unresponsive. There was a pool of blood on the floor so he told her he was scared and was calling 911. When the paramedics arrived, they stabilized her and rushed her to Riverside Hospital. The doctors there informed Ray that Sue suffered from a ruptured brain aneurysm. They said they could perform brain surgery but that they didn't think she would survive with the type of procedure they could provide. However, they could helicopter her to Rush in downtown Chicago where she had a better chance of surviving with the advanced technology they had to offer.  During the helicopter ride, Sue suffered a massive heart attack.
The first brain surgery was unsuccessful. They tried two days later where they were able to repair the ruptured aneurysm and implant coils that also repaired the newly formed blood clots. The next ten days for Sue were spent on a ventilator in a medically induced coma. In that stretch, her brain swelled but the doctors removed half of her skull to save her. This allowed the brain room to grow and the skull was placed back on when the brain went back to normal size. In the months to follow, a shunt was put in her brain assist in draining cerebral fluid. She also underwent intensive respiratory therapy to learn how to breath without a tracheostomy which she completed successfully.
The last three months have consisted off acute rehab at JRB to improve her muscles on the right side to help compensate for her being paralyzed on the left side. Sue receives botox shots to her neck and arm and has a baclofen pump in her stomach that eventually leads to her spinal chord for a constant drip of medicine. These treatments are meant to help with the severe toning and muscle spasms that she has on a daily basis.
Sue has recently come home in need of 24 hour care which is not covered by insurance. The family does not know how long 24 hour care will be needed. At this time, there is no definite prognosis. The doctors have said it will take a minimum of 2 years to realize the full potential of her rehabilitation. After some research, the family estimates $1k a month in supplies not covered by insurance. Further research uncovered that professional care costs between $110-250 a day also not covered by insurance.
A fundraiser is being organized with a date to be announced. Any help is greatly appreciated. Along the way, we have received many prayers and thoughtful messages and visits and every little bit has helped and continues to. On behalf of Sue and the family, we thank you for taking the time to read this and for any help you may be able to give.