Max Colby’s Recovery

Many of those who are close to Max know that in recent months, she's developed a web of emergency medical conditions, resulting in one emergency surgery, five hospitalizations, three emergency visits, and two required major surgeries over the summer which have left her further disabled for many months. She continues to experience severe, debilitating complications. This has significantly impacted her ability to function and live independently. Please help support Max focus on long-term recovery so she can return to her work and studio practice, which has impacted many individuals and communities across the world.

Update on 9/21/25 - Max has now been unable to work, make a living, or seek gainful employment for 6 months. On top of covering a gap in general living expenses, she requires extensive home health services to recover. Please help Max through this increasingly challenging time.

Medical Impact

On March 18th, Max was hospitalized for five days for an emergency thrombectomy resulting from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Her right clavicle and first rib are compressing a major vein (subclavian vein) which returns blood flow from the arm to the heart. Eventually, this developed into a massive blood clot (DVT) which had to be surgically removed. One week after this hospitalization, she was admitted again for four days as the clot recurred and broke off into her lung, causing a pulmonary embolism.

She requires two additional surgeries to address the condition. First, a full first rib resection (removal) in June to address the physical abnormality at the root of her condition, followed by angioplasty to address subsequent deformity of the affected vein. She has a dedicated team of doctors and surgeons through the NYU Langone network at Tisch and Kimmel hospitals to manage her condition, including a Vascular Surgeon, Thoracic Surgeon, and Hematologists.

Personal and Work Impact

Since her initial hospitalizations in March, Max has been unable to use her right arm in doing many basic activities or return to her work in the studio. She is still living with clot in her arm, subclavian, and lung, which are slowly being reabsorbed into her bloodstream with the help of anticoagulants, in addition to the pain, swelling, and constraints that the compression from her bones is causing. 

Max’s upcoming rib resection will most dramatically impact her ability to work and live independently. She is expected to be partially disabled in the affected arm for several months and will require extensive physical therapy to fully recover.

Please help Max by allowing her to focus on recovery so that she may return in the future to her studio practice.

Your Help

Your support will help cover:

- In-home nursing care post-surgery.

- Basic living expenses.

- Transportation to and from hospitals and doctors.

- Storage of artwork during recovery.

- Medical expenses and supporting therapies not covered by insurance.