Love for Maria Vettese: Heart & Brain Surgery

Michael Bivins ,Lexi Marine, Lynsey Waite and 2 others are organising this fundraiser in aid of James Ryan.

In September 2024, after months of illness, Maria requested an echocardiogram from her doctor. She knew there was something wrong with her heart, she could feel it — and she was right.

That day, the physician saw a mass in Maria's heart and sent her straight to the emergency room. She had a body-wide bacterial infection that had infected and damaged her heart.

Endocarditis was the diagnosis, and the infection had already damaged her heart's mitral valve. She needed open heart surgery. Two nights before the scheduled surgery, Maria woke up with severe neck and head pain. A piece of the damaged fiber in her heart had let go, traveling to her brain and causing an aneurysm.

Maria had emergency neurosurgery to fix the aneurysm and bleeding in her brain. Then vasospasm (aftershocks from the aneurysm) caused a large stroke on the left side of her brain.

Today, Maria faces a long healing journey to regain language, speech, the ability to swallow, and movement on her right side. She also still needs heart surgery as soon as her body is strong enough.

In the middle of this medical crisis, Maria's partner, Christopher, was laid off from his full-time job.

We're raising money for Maria and her family to help offset the cost of 2 major surgeries, a 3 week ICU stay, months of future rehab, and eventual home care.

Brain injuries come with a lot uncertainty, and the path of Maria's recovery is not yet clear. Maria's spirit is strong, but there is a long road ahead, and we want to support this family during their entire journey.

Anything you can donate is incredibly helpful. Maria has always appreciated the beauty of small things, and we believe every dollar and gesture counts. If you can't donate, please share this story widely.

Maria is an artist who constantly creates beauty all around her. She makes the lives of her family and friends richer, deeper, and more beautiful every day. She's an incredible mother to Luna and Angelo (9 and 5) and loving partner to Christopher. She is a generous, fierce, and hilarious friend.

We love Maria and her family. They have so much to get through right now, we don't want them to collapse under this financial burden.

We love you,Lexi Marie, Maria, Christopher, Luna & Angelo, Michael Bivins, xoxoxo