John and Mary Anne Mancini Recovery Fund

Our dear friends, John and Mary Anne Mancini, have experienced more turmoil than most of us will in a lifetime. They have publicly struggled with their healthcare journey as we all offered strength, love, and prayers. They didn’t share the financial toll it has taken over the years as it continues to grow and impact their future. The Mancini’s are the most generous, giving friends and now find themselves buried in medical bills along with John’s loss of insurance and inability to work. My husband and I convinced them to let us set up this fund to help them dig out.

Here is a quick summary starting in 2017 when John suddenly could not speak, along with other symptoms. An MRI of the brain confirmed a meningioma tumor, and he had two major brain surgeries followed by 30 days of radiation, and physical therapy caused him to be out of work for months. In 2019, Mary Anne was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, followed by her receiving chemo, radiation, and a lumpectomy. Throughout her treatment, they continued to pay $1,800 a month toward their Chapter 13 payment plan, along with trying to keep up with the medical bills.

Just as things were looking up, John started having seizures in 2022. He was unable to work or drive and was put on work disability. This benefit ended in August 2022. In January 2023, John had additional issues from his brain surgeries in 2017. He has been in and out of doctor’s offices and hospitals and has had numerous tests as they continue to figure out the problem. John knew there was something wrong and was persistent with his doctors. In March 2023, they determined he had a brain infection that required major surgery this past April and another major surgery this coming July. During the April surgery, a part of his skull was removed, causing a stroke and a more extended stay in the hospital. John was sent home to self-administer different meds to alleviate the infection before his subsequent surgery.

Medical bills continue to pile up, and they have been unable to keep up with the out-of-pocket expenses. They have incurred additional expenses with nurses, physical therapists, speech therapists, and occupational therapy. In addition, he is on seven prescriptions daily. John’s union insurance ended in March; they can only get coverage at $800/month with a $15,000 max out of pocket.

Through all this turmoil over the years, John and Mary Anne have demonstrated immense strength and faith as they continue believing that things will get better! Thank you all as we rally around John and Mary Anne during this difficult time. Ed and Elissa Kaywork