Breathe Easy Again: Help Vicki on Her Road to Recovery

Help My Mom, Vicki, on Her Road to Recovery

Many of you know me from growing up in New Hampshire, my years bartending, at the gym, through real estate, and beyond. And if you know me, you know how much my mom means to me. She’s my best friend, my rock, and the strongest woman I know.

Some of you have already followed her battle, but for those just learning about it now, I want to share what she has been through.

How It Started

On Christmas Day 2024, Mom was admitted to Doylestown Hospital with what we thought was severe pneumonia. But after weeks of tests, we learned the devastating truth—she had nonspecific interstitial lung disease (ILD), a rapidly progressing condition that was destroying her lungs.

She spent six weeks at Doylestown before being transferred to The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP). That’s when we were told something terrifying:

A double lung transplant was the only way to save her life.

But first, she had to be deemed eligible—a process that felt endless as we watched her struggle for every single breath. Every day, her X-rays showed her lungs getting worse. She was literally suffocating to death in front of me.

After 10 grueling days of testing, she was finally approved and placed on the transplant list. But her condition continued to decline. Eventually, the doctors decided she needed ECMO (life support) as a bridge to transplant—a last resort to keep her alive until lungs became available.

I genuinely thought I was going to lose my mom.

A Miracle: The Call That Changed Everything

Then, on Thursday, March 6th, we got the call.

A beautiful soul had passed, and my mom had been gifted a second chance at life. The next morning, she went into an 8-hour surgery to receive her new lungs.

Telling her that she had new lungs and was going to be okay was a moment I will NEVER forget.

Where We Are Now

We are now 9 days post-transplant, and Mom is in great spirits. She has a temporary tracheostomy, so she can’t speak yet, but I’ve learned that I’m a great lip reader!

She has a long road ahead—she will remain at Penn for another 5-6 weeks as she learns to breathe with her new lungs and rebuilds strength after months of being bedridden. Once she’s home, we’ll be traveling to the hospital three times a week for the first 12 weeks, then weekly after that.

Mom can’t work and has lost her employer-sponsored insurance. While Chris and I can cover housing, food, and travel, we need help covering her essential expenses, including:

✔️ Medical bills

✔️ Phone bill & other essentials

✔️ Ongoing recovery costs

We’re hoping to raise $10,000 to help ease the financial burden while we wait for potential disability income.

I know times are tough for many, so if you’re unable to donate, I ask that you share my mom’s story. Every share, every prayer, and every word of encouragement means the world to us.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Much love,

Ryanne & Vicki