Help a Brain Surgery Survivor!

Culinary School or Bust! Please Help a Brain Surgery Survivor Fulfill her Dream of Becoming a Chef.

On March 7, 2016 I hope to start my degree in Culinary Arts at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA)! It is one of the best culinary schools in the country and I consider it an absolute honor to have been accepted. Becoming a Chef has been a dream of mine for a very long time and I am thrilled to finally make my dream a reality.

A few years ago, I suffered a severe seizure in Penn Station, NYC on my way home from work. I blacked out afterwards and came to in an ambulance on the way to Bellevue Hospital. The doctors did an MRI and found a massive tumor that needed to be removed as soon as possible because it was crushing my brain. I had surgery at St. Luke’s Roosevelt two weeks later, and was blessed to have a phenomenal team of doctors and nurses as well as the support of my family and friends.

It was a life changing experience that left me permanently blind in my left eye and with a huge scar in the shape of a question mark on my scalp. Since then, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on what to do with this second chance at life. It has been a long road back since my surgery and there have definitely been some ups and downs. However, I am determined to turn my Mess into a Message, my Tests into a Testimony and my Trials into a Triumph.

I have been fortunate enough to receive the CIA's highest merit scholarship (the President's Scholarship) and the MFK Fisher scholarship in Food Writing as well as a few grants that will greatly help with the cost of tuition and other fees. However, there is still a substantial outstanding balance for tuition and other expenses.

I have applied for some external scholarships to raise the remaining funds but they are incredibly competitive. I am unable to get a private student loan on my own at this time.

I am thankful every single day for this second chance at life. Everyone deserves the chance to rebuild and reinvent them self no matter their age! I will make the most of this amazing opportunity and turn my passion for culinary creations into a profession in the food service industry.

I am humbly asking for your help. Any gift, large, small or in between would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please Share! Thank you so much for your support! 

Live, Laugh, Love and Pay It Forward!

One Love,
Ysanne