Kupnicki Family

Hey, my name is Suzie but honestly who cares about who I am. Today I am writing to tell you about a family that I grew up with, Ciocia Ania, Bart, Marty and the newest edition little Millie. As some of you may know Marty is currently in hospital and has a long hard fight ahead of him. Marty was born with a hole in his heart and had to be transferred to Sick Kids in Toronto to undergo an operation as an infant. As he got older he has had to have additional surgeries to keep up with his growth. Marty has had a total of 6 open heart surgeries and this obviously takes a toll on a body and makes each subsequent surgery a little harder. However this has never stopped Marty from living his life to the fullest and while doing that has made a ton of friendships and touched many people with his easy going, joking nature. I have had the privilege to come visit him prior to his most recent surgery after he reached out to me and every time I had to fight to find a spot in his room to visit because he was surrounded by friends and family which shows how loved he is.

Recently Marty has undergone his 6th surgery where doctors were hoping to fix a hole in his heart, a leaky valve and implant a left ventricular assist device. Going into surgery the doctors were very frank with Marty, Bart and Ania letting them know that this would be the hardest surgery yet and that the odds were 50/50 of Marty surviving. Still the night before surgery Marty was smiling and joking with the throngs of visitors in his room. On November 4 the 16 hour surgery started. Unfortunately not everything went according to plan and the doctors were not able to fix everything they wanted to. Marty is currently in CVICU and fighting everyday to get stronger to undergo another operation to finish what they were not able to complete. He has also had a few complications during his stay and his condition remains stable unstable.

While Marty is fighting in CVICU, his mom has been visiting and sitting with him everyday. She is his biggest cheerleader and greatest advocate and support. I was able to watch her interacting with him and he obviously gets calmer when he feels her touch and hears her voice. Bart meanwhile has been dividing his time between being here in Edmonton to help his mom and Marty, and vancouver island where he lives and his daughter is and he works full time to be able to financially support everyone.

The money raised in this fundraiser will go to the family to use as they see fit. Marty will need extra supports for when he comes out of hospital, Bart has been flying back and forth and we all know that can get very expensive and Ania is in the hospital everyday and those costs (parking, food, bills) add up. No amount is too small and even $5 can go toward parking or a meal for the day. Bart also brings his daughter Millie up who is the apple of her uncles eye and it would be nice if they could have some fun with her as well.

The family would also love to hear stories that you have of Marty and any well wishes you have. They have both been showing him videos and relaying these well wishes and want Marty to feel the love and support he has around him.

Bart will post updates when he is able to but right now there is so much on his plate taking care of the three M’s: Marty, mom and Millie.