On February 14, 2026, my daughter, Martina, survived a cervical spinal stroke. Please consider supporting her healing and recovery journey!

What happened

Martina was visiting with family and felt some tingling and numbing in her arms. She quickly realized the numbing was spreading and an ambulance was called. This would be the beginning of her journey to learn she was experiencing a cervical spinal stroke- an incredibly rare condition, especially for someone 24 years old. The stroke caused perises, or incomplete paralysis, and Martina was unable to move any of her body below her neck. She has regained some movement and is currently able to move her right leg and arm along with some movement on her left side.

Martina spent 10 days in the hospital and was transferred to a rehabilitation center on February 25, 2026. She’ll be at the center for at least six weeks. She’s receiving physical therapy , occupational and recreational therapy and rebuilding her strength while rewiring the neural pathways to get her body moving again. With the potent power of prayer to God, Saint Charbel and Mother Mary, and support of family and friends, Martina has maintained her vibrant spirit, her loving and caring heart, and her beautiful capacity to hope and look forward with unmatched resiliency. Martina is a warrior and refuses to let any darkness that comes her way snuff out her flame.

A bit about Martina

Martina is an active, vibrant human with a huge and generous heart. She gives her gift of healing to everyone who crosses her path- from very tangible ways when she worked as an EMT to caring for community members in a volunteer capacity to caring for horses at a local farm to offering sage wisdom and support to friends, family members, and even acquaintances she’s only just met. She is truly a giver.

Daily, Martina walks her beautiful dogs Roxie and Tyson in the forest near her home. She loves being outdoors in all seasons. Movement and nature are at the core of her being. An avid rock climber with seven years experience, she coaches children in rock climbing at her local gym and enjoys regularly climbing outdoors.

Martina has traveled the world and visited 5 continents. She speaks three languages fluently and several others conversationally. She studied psychology at universities in Greece and the United States, and plans to return to her studies once she has recovered enough to engage in classes.

A Lebanese-Italian woman, Martina leans on the strength of her grandparents in her mountain village of Mayfouk. With your support, she’s looking forward to harvesting olives with her teta (grandmother) in the fall.

At her core, Martina is an artist. If you’ve ever heard Martina sing, you know her voice is Angelic. Even from her hospital bed and wheelchair, Martina continues to sing. She plays guitar and loves to dance. She is a talented artist, painter, dancer and poet.

Martina has so much more love and light to give this world. She wants to spend the rest of her life giving back and healing others and has big plans to do so! She endeavors to spend her future days caring for her own children and serving as a children’s wilderness therapist helping refugee youth in Lebanon heal through movement and climbing. Please consider donating to help her get moving again so she can fulfill her purpose and passion!

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