Help Michele Miritello: Safety and Stability After Brain Surgery & Epilepsy

The night of August 8, 2024, is the moment our old life ended.

I woke up to the sound of my wife, Michele, having a violent seizure in her sleep. In those terrifying minutes, I watched the person I love most slip away into something I could not understand. Our son, Anthony, was on the phone with 911 while our daughter stood in the doorway, frozen in fear, watching as paramedics rush into our home and take Michele away by ambulance. That was the night we found the brain tumor.

The surgery lasted thirteen grueling hours. On August 27, doctors at the University of Chicago operated to remove the mass. We were incredibly lucky to find out that the tumor was benign, although Michele's brain had already sustained damage. Michele survived, but the trauma of the surgery changed our lives forever.

A Long Year of "New Realities" Michele has fought through every therapy imaginable—physical, occupational, speech, and brutal 10-hour cognitive evaluations. She is a fighter, but the reality is heart-wrenching: Michele has not driven a car or worked since that first night. Even simple joys have become complicated. Before this, Michele loved her aqua fitness classes every Tuesday and Thursday. Now, she can barely make it once or twice a month—and only because I go with her. I have become her personal lifeguard, standing in the water with her to ensure she is safe if a seizure strikes. On the rare days I cannot be there, her wonderful friends from class step up to watch over her, but she deeply misses the independence of just sitting in the hot tub after class, chatting, and laughing with her friends.

A Family United: We have reorganized our lives to create a protective circle around Michele Phil lost his job last May. The choice was impossible: keep a corporate schedule or save my wife’s life. I chose Michele. I eventually took a job driving a school bus, the only job that gives me the flexibility to be there when she needs me.

Our children have stepped up in ways no parent ever wants to ask of them. Our son Anthony moved his accounting career into our home to keep watch over his mother while I am on my routes. Our daughter Addyson is commuting to Lewis University for Nursing; she lives at home and balances the intense demands of her studies with helping care for Michele whenever she is able. Our son Andrew is away at Illinois State University (ISU); he jumps in the moment he is home for breaks but carries the constant weight of worrying about his mommy every day he is at school. We are tired and stretched thin, but we are standing together.

Why We Need Our Community To keep Michele safe, we need to eliminate the risk of stairs and falls. Our vision is to convert our current living room and office into a first-floor master suite, featuring a low-profile, walk-in shower. On top of this major renovation, we are facing an immediate emergency: our roof needs immediate replacement.

Our goal is $25,000. These funds will go directly toward:

• Medical bills and specialized ongoing care.

• The Master Suite Conversion (Creating a safe, first-floor living space).

• Safety modifications (Low-profile shower, grab bars, and non-slip flooring).

• Emergency Roof Replacement to keep our home safe and dry.

• Gap funding for the upcoming summer months when school bus income stops.

A Note to Local Vendors & Contractors: If you are a local business owner in the Frankfort/Mokena area and would be willing to donate labor or materials for the suite conversion, the roof, or safety modifications, please click the "Contact" button. Your professional help would be a life-changing gift.

If you cannot donate, please share our story. If you want to support Michele directly via Zelle to avoid platform fees, please use the "Contact" button to message me.

Thank you for standing with the Miritello family.

— Phillip, Michele, Anthony, Andrew & Addyson