On March 23rd, 2021, Vivian was struck with a severe headache and nausea while working from home. She called 911 for herself before collapsing from a massive cerebellar aneurysm. Due to her quick thinking, EMT’s were able to transport her for an emergency craniotomy, saving her life.

The next few days were touch and go. The aneurysm caused a significant stroke in her cerebellum and surrounding area. It was unclear whether Vivian would survive, and if she did, what condition she would be in. She woke up the next day; however, she began to deteriorate and required intubation to breathe. After several days of intubation and sedation, she had a tracheostomy (trach). At this point, it became clear that the journey of her recovery would be a long one.

Vivian could not talk with the tracheostomy so communication narrowed to yes/no questions and gentle hand squeezes. At this point, every small step was a huge amount of progress for her: controlling her head, moving her arms, tracking movement with her eyes, and even wiggling her toes. Eventually her intracranial pressures were stable and a shunt was installed in her skull to allow for more freedom of movement. Two weeks after the shunt was installed, a nurse could transfer her to a chair for an hour, which was considered her workout for the day.

After a month in the ICU and subsequent step-down units, Vivian moved to a Long Term Acute Care facility(LTAC) for general recovery and rehabilitation. There, she took her first bites of (honestly gross looking) food, began speaking valve trials with the trach, stood for the first time (with heavy assistance), and took her first steps (also with heavy assistance). After three months at the LTAC and a significant amount of progress, Vivian was medically stable enough for the next step down in care and was moved to a Skilled Nursing Facility. We tracked her progression and prepared for her return home. Finally, a few days before Thanksgiving, she wheeled through the front door of her own home for the first time in nine months.

Today, we are not at the finish line but rather the start. Vivian’s stroke was in her cerebellum, so her overall coordination and motor control are greatly affected. Currently, she resides in her downstairs living room since she cannot climb stairs to reach her room or shower. She requires the assistance of a live-in caregiver who is with her at all times: taking care of her food prep and feeding, hygiene, transfer to and from her bed and wheelchair, and daily exercise. Right now, this aid is absolutely essential because, in addition to her current physical deficits, she has issues with cognition and memory formation. Her recovery so far has been a long journey and her progress to this point is incredible. However, there is an even longer road ahead towards stability and a meaningful amount of independence.

Vivian is no stranger to perseverance and overcoming obstacles. Her husband, Vince, passed away suddenly due to a heart attack seven years ago. She found the strength to get back on her feet and maintain her home along with her two sons. Since then, she has worked tirelessly to achieve her goals but it has been difficult. Due to her hard work, life was starting to look up in the past few years. To have such an incredible life setback now after her hard work is one of the greatest tragedies of her story.

Vivian is a fighter and, despite the stroke and her current struggles, that core drive still shines through. She fought for her life for 3 difficult months. She fought to breathe when the trach was removed. She fought to relearn how to eat, swallow, talk, and stand. Most importantly, throughout everything, she fought with a smile on her face. Now Vivian needs our help to support her recovery.

We are asking for $150,000 to help cover the cost of her At-Home Care and basic living expenses for the next year. The cost of At-Home care is $490 per day, adding up to $178,850, for a single year. Life Insurance is able to cover $238 per day (reimbursement; $86,870 for the year), bringing the cost of just the caregiver to $91,980 for the first year. That is an eye watering amount, especially considering we do not know how long the service will be required. Unfortunately, medical insurance does not cover At-Home Care and it is difficult enough just to get home visits from Nurses and Therapies authorized. This money will go directly to the care of Vivian in the truest sense: bathing, feeding, hygiene, basic exercise, mobility assistance, engagement, and entertainment. All in all, this gives us about a year and a half runway to get Vivian cared for and set up as best possible for this next stage in her life. While we don’t know what the full extent of her recovery will be, we are hopeful that she won’t need live-in care forever.

Most importantly, we are looking forward to having Vivian back in our lives. One of her favorite activities is keeping a list of all the things she wants to do once she’s able. Near the top are things we take for granted: to have a proper shower, walk the dog, replant her lemon tree, host a dinner with friends. There is a list of favorite foods that she’s slowly chipping away at: steak, paella, ribs, burritos, and curry. But she’s most excited to see her friends again and remake so many of the memories that were lost due to the stroke. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you so much for your continued support, prayers, and wishes these past nine months. Vivian and her family could not have made it this far without such a strong community of friends and family. We are grateful every day for everything everyone has done and the second chance at life that she has been given. Her friends and family are sincerely grateful for any amount of support.

If you feel led to do so, please write a few words of appreciation for Vivian, how she might have touched your life and/or a heartfelt message to her. We will read it to her as you share. Thank you!