Our family created this GoFundMe to help support Cathy Avery as she fights through an incredibly serious and unexpected medical crisis.

Why we are asking for help

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When we first created this fundraiser, we believed Cathy would likely be out of work for several months while recovering from surgery. Because of the complications that have happened since then, it’s clear that her recovery will now be much longer and far more unpredictable than anyone originally expected.

Even with insurance, the medical costs from multiple surgeries, extended ICU care, advanced life support, and ongoing treatment are already far beyond what we anticipated. On top of that, Cathy will need help covering everyday living expenses, mortgage payments, medications, rehabilitation, and transportation while she focuses entirely on healing.

Anyone who knows Cathy knows how hardworking, independent, and caring she is. Asking for help does not come easily to her or for our family, but right now our priority is giving her the time and peace she needs to recover without added financial stress.

Even the smallest contribution, sharing this page, or keeping Cathy in your prayers makes a meaningful difference for our family.

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What happened

On February 26th, Cathy went in for major open-heart surgery to repair a severely leaking heart valve and address serious issues with her heart and aorta. The surgery itself was extremely complex, and initially, the surgeons were able to complete the repairs.

Later that same day, Cathy went into cardiac arrest. Her heart stopped for 17 minutes before the medical team brought her back and rushed her into emergency surgery to stabilize her. By the grace of God and the incredible efforts of her doctors and nurses, they were able to save her life.

Since then, Cathy has been fighting multiple life-threatening complications and has required advanced life-support machines to keep her stable while her body tries to recover.

After surgery, she developed cardiogenic shock, meaning her heart was too weak to pump blood effectively on its own. Doctors placed her on ECMO, a machine that temporarily supports the heart and lungs, along with other devices to help her circulation while her body recovers. She remained sedated and on a ventilator during this time.

Despite how serious things have been, there have been small signs of progress along the way. Some organs remained stable, and at times the medical team was able to reduce certain medications supporting her heart and blood pressure.

On March 6th, doctors were able to remove her breathing tube, allowing her to breathe on her own with oxygen support an important step forward.

However, new complications arose. On March 10th, doctors discovered blood had collected around her heart, putting pressure on it. She was taken back into surgery to wash out her chest and relieve that pressure so her heart could continue healing.

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Recent updates

Since then, the journey has continued to be extremely complex, with both setbacks and breakthroughs.

Cathy developed a clot near her heart that required another procedure to remove it. Doctors were hopeful that removing this clot would help relieve pressure and allow the right side of her heart to recover more effectively. And then… we reached a major milestone.

After being fully supported by ECMO for an extended period of time, Cathy was able to pass a critical “turndown study,” showing that her heart could begin functioning more independently.

On April 2nd, she was successfully taken off the ECMO machine.

This is a huge step forward one that once felt so far away.

She is back on a ventilator as her body continues to recover, and her medical team is now carefully working toward the next goal of removing that support as well. While she remains critically ill and continues to face risks, this marks a meaningful shift from full life support toward rebuilding strength and recovery.

She is more awake at times, more present, and continuing to fight through each step, even when it’s hard.

Cathy is still in the ICU and her condition remains serious. Her recovery will require time, rehabilitation, and continued medical care.

While we are incredibly grateful for the progress she has made, we know there is still a long road ahead.

We are extremely thankful. Truly, words will never be enough for every prayer, every message, every donation, and every person who has stood beside us during this time.

Your support has carried us through the hardest moments.