Back Surgery & Rehab for Sculptor Kelly Borsheim

Kelly (Seiler) Borsheim is an American artist living the dream in Castelvecchio, Italy, where she’s resided for more than seven years. She’s a full-time sculptor who lives solely on the income she earns from her art, whether it be murals, stone carvings, or commissioned portraits.

On Friday, July 21, Kelly was injured in a freak beach accident in nearby Viareggio, on the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea. After being out in the water, she was wading back to shore when a large wave toppled her from behind, slamming her face-first underwater and into the sand. Fortunately, this incident was witnessed by her boyfriend Andrea who called for immediate help. Kelly has been hospitalized since this incident, as an MRI revealed she broke her T5 & T6 vertebrae, near the base of her ribs and in the middle of her back. On Tuesday this past week, Kelly had surgery to stabilize the vertebrae with titanium screws and rods. The procedure went well, and she’s in recovery and trying to manage the pain. The hospital has no A/C, and Italy is having a heat wave, like so many places right now, so she's eager to recover somewhere more comfortable. As of July 28, she expects to be discharged as early as tomorrow evening.

Recovery is expected to take 6 weeks, up to 3 months, and in that time her mobility (and therefore, art production & income) will be limited. She will spend the month of August recovering in the town of Viareggio and hopes to be able to return to her home in Castelvecchio by the end of August so she can pick up on creating her art. Unfortunately Kelly doesn’t have health insurance in Italy. Funds collected will go straight to Kelly to be used to cover her growing medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, transportation and lost wages while she recovers from this incident. Any donation you can make is greatly appreciated.

Other ways you can help Kelly:

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This Go Fund Me page was created by Kelly's 5 younger siblings. It felt like the best way we could help her from thousands of miles away.