On Saturday, November 29th, 2025, my mom went to urgent care in Monroe, WA, because she felt like she was going to pass out. She thought that she had bronchitis but when she arrived at urgent care, the staff quickly realized something much more serious was happening. She was rushed by ambulance to Evergreen hospital in Kirkland, WA, where we learned she was actually experiencing heart failure, not bronchitis. Her heart rhythm was so irregular that doctors had to shock her four separate times to stabilize her.

She needed to be placed on ECMO life support, which wasn't available at Evergreen. Once she was stable, she was rushed by ambulance to Swedish in Seattle, WA, where she was admitted to the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU). She was intubated and underwent emergency surgery to place cannulas in a major vein and artery so she could be placed on ECMO. ECMO is a type of life support that takes blood out of the body, removes CO2, and pumps it full of oxygen before circulating it back. The doctors believe my mom had been in heart failure for about a week before seeking treatment. Her heart was only working at 10% of what is normal, so the ECMO is helping get oxygenated blood to her organs and extremities.

Seeing my mom in a hospital bed, surrounded by IV hoses, a tube down her throat, and watching her blood being cycled in and out of her body was heartbreaking. I had just spent Thanksgiving with her, and now she was on life support. This was completely unexpected. My mom is a healthy and active person—she just ran Bloomsday, a 12k, in May! Seeing her go from running races to being in critical condition in such a short time has been shocking and overwhelming for all of us.

Since arriving at the hospital, my mom has made incredible progress. She is no longer intubated and has started physical therapy. She’s even been able to walk a little into the hallway of her floor while still on ECMO, which is almost unheard of! Through all of this, she has shown so much resilience and has remained positive, inspiring everyone around her.

Depending on her recovery, my mom is expected to be in the hospital for at least three more weeks. In the worst case, she may need to be transferred to UW Medicine for a heart transplant. The medical bills will be a huge burden on my parents. My dad and brothers commute daily from Monroe to Seattle, and I commute from Bellingham. The cost of travel and gas for these daily trips adds up quickly, creating another layer of financial stress for our family.

I'm starting this fundraiser so that my family and I can focus on my mom and her recovery, regardless of what that looks like, without having to stress about what this is all going to cost. Giving to this will help provide our family with peace of mind financially in this trying time. We appreciate any donation and ask that you share this on your social media so we can get the word out!

We appreciate everyone for the support, encouragement, and love you’ve shown our family during this difficult time. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.