Hi, my name is Hannah Wirtz.

My mom, Joann Ostenberg, the greatest women I will ever know, passed away rather unexpectedly this morning on 3/13/2025 in her sleep.

My mom was the happiest, kindest, most compassionate, loving person you would have ever met. She was always optimistic. She was a mom, sister, daughter, and the best grandma to my little boys. She did absolutely everything and anything she could for the people she loved. She worked herself to the bone regardless of anything she was going through.

My mom was 55 years old, the main breadwinner for my parents, as well as my brother. She had a neck fusion surgery in December of 2024, followed by a foot surgery in January of 2025. After her foot surgery she ended up back in the hospital shortly after being released due to an infection that spread to her spinal cord, where the fusion originally took place. Her doctors made the executive decision to go back in and remove as much of the infection as possible as well as fuse more of her spine. She was in the Hospital for weeks after each surgery before being released with many medications, one being an antibiotic that ended up lowering her white blood cell count to extremely low numbers. Unknown to anyone how, she ended up contracting strep throat which combined with her low white blood cell count ended up sending her back in the Hospital in February a second time.

On February 26th she was once again released from the hospital, her last few weeks she has been on multiple antibiotics, pain medications, ect.

Although tired, she had started acting like herself again. she had multiple doctors appointments every week, physical therapies that came to their house and other medical interventions she attended. She was getting better, or so we thought.

This morning, I got the call at 10:45 from my dad, that my mom had passed away in her sleep unexpectedly. she had just gone to the doctor yesterday and they were happy with her progress, which is why despite the last few months of pain and hospital stays, makes her passing so shocking.

My mom had been out of work due to her Surgeries and complications since December of 2024, which has put a huge financial hardship on my dad and brother who lives with them.

They've been scraping by, doing everything they can to pay all their monthly bills.

My dad now has all her medical bills from her surgeries, hospital stays due the complications and infections, appointments, therapies and now her death, he has to pay, on top of keeping a roof over his and my brothers heads.

My dad and brother will not have the luxury of taking time off to grieve the way they should after her passing. Due to all the expenses, they will be returning back to work within a day so they can afford to pay rent.

I am asking for any type of help they can get to help cover her medical bills, cremation, urn, as well as enough to allow them to take some time off of work to grieve after her passing. Any small amount is greatly appreciated at this time.